Memories of Shadows
by KarenZ
Summary: Fam Channel Zorro:Bandidos attack the pueblo and it is Diego who acts, not Zorro. Diego's injury causes quite a problem for him, for his family, loved ones and for Zorro too. COMPLETE, revised version
1. Chapter 1

Memories of Shadows

Chapter One

Diego, Alejandro and Victoria were catching up on the news in front of the tavern when it happened.

What had been a peaceful, sleepy afternoon suddenly erupted into frenzied chaos! Bandidos entered the plaza, seemingly from all sides at once. There were at least 15 men firing into the crowd at random. The sounds of the horses, the shots, the yells from the men, and the screams from the women all combined into a thunderous roar.

Two of the peons in the crowd fell to the ground clutching their chests.

Diego was stunned. There was nothing he could do but act, no time to worry about anything else. People were dying!

A small child ran about wildly and was about to be crushed by the horses' hooves when Diego sprang into action. He whisked the child up off the ground, ran to the edge of the crowd and practically threw the young boy into the arms of his father.

Then he bounded for the nearest bandido and wrestled the man from the horse and onto the ground. With one masterful punch placed squarely in his face, the man sank to the ground in a lump. Diego whirled around quickly and grabbed the whip anchored to the horse's saddle.

Victoria and Alejandro saw only a blur before them as they watched Diego use the whip like a master to bring down two more bandidos from their horses and dispose of them as he had the first. He showed blinding speed as he used the whip in rapid succession and forced two more bandidos from their mounts.

With the crowd watching in awe, Diego De La Vega dove fearlessly under a horse, spun around and grabbed the reins, causing it to rear skywards and unseat its rider. As soon as he stood, the whip in his hand lashed out once more to snatch a knife from another bandido's hand and whisk it into his own. Turning, he slashed at the saddle cinches of the two nearest horses. The men tumbled from the horses' backs and were immediately met with one swift blow each which left them lying flat in the dust. He had taken care of half the bandidos, but in so doing, he had drawn the attention of the rest of them.

"Get him!" one of them shouted above the noise. The remaining outlaws eyed their amigos littering the ground, and they all hesitated momentarily before regrouping to attack the lone man opposing them.

It was long enough for Diego to crack the whip just in front of the nose of one of the horses. The steed panicked, reared and threw its rider off its back and into the dirt in one move.

"Diego, watch out!" Victoria shouted as she saw one of the men come up behind Diego. He turned quickly, dodging the thrust of a musket. But behind him, the frightened rider-less horse reared high once more and a hoof came crashing down on the back of Diego's head.

Diego fell to the ground and his world stilled.

The bandidos fired two more shots into the crowd. But at last, the soldiers from the quartel began arriving and firing back. The trained men showered a volley of gunfire at the remaining bandidos and four of the bandidos fell. More lancers poured into the plaza with muskets primed. The bandidos were finally outnumbered and the rest galloped off toward the gates of the pueblo in a hail of musket fire.

A cheer went up from the crowd for the soldiers. For several minutes there was rejoicing as the people watched their military men do their jobs. Some soldiers rounded up the fallen bandidos and others mounted up and pursued the bandidos out through the gates. But the cheer died down as, one by one, they turned and saw the carnage left behind, and the one man who had opposed the group of outlaws single-handedly lying in the middle of the plaza, unmoving and still. The rich man's son who had fought so bravely for all of them.

Victoria was the first to reach Diego. She screamed to the nearest lancer for help in getting him into the tavern. Alejandro quickly found the child's grateful mother, deposited the child into her arms, and rushed over to his son's side. Victoria was already taking control of the situation. She motioned Alejandro to grab Diego's feet while she carefully cushioned his head as the men carried Diego inside the building.

"I had no idea he was so heavy," the lancer groaned about Diego's weight, and he called to another lancer to come over to help. Victoria directed the men up the stairs to the room next to hers. The lancer groaned once more as he saw the stairs, but he knew better than to object. The señorita did not seem to be in a mood to argue.

Señorita Victoria Escalante was a "modern woman". She was still very young, only in her early twenties, but she had matured rapidly into a very confident and strong willed young lady. She had taken over the running of her parents' tavern when barely out of childhood. The blood of her brave parents, staunch fighters for freedom and justice flowed red in her veins. The sight of her mother's tragic death before a firing squad of a corrupt and unjust government had only given her more strength of character. She could always be counted on to take control of just such a situation. In her element when it came to a crisis, she was already shouting orders.

"Maria, get that jar of ointment from the kitchen. Have Teresa help you make some bandages of the old sheets in the right hand cupboard and start boiling some water for the doctor!" She knew the doctor would not be able to tend to all the injured without some help. "Tina, go find Dr. Hernandez. He may be out there in the street already. If he is, ask him what he needs and get it for him. Tell him to bring the injured in here if he needs to, and …just tell him …well, whatever he needs…."

Her thoughts had already returned to the man being laid on a bed upstairs. Tears had already made tracks down her cheeks and she was beginning to forget the scene outside. She had to make sure Diego was all right!

When she finally managed to get to his bedside, she was crying outright. She now _knew. _But, at what a price! She had almost expected to see him lying there with the black mask on his face. She looked at Don Alejandro who was trying to stop the bleeding of his son's wound. Had _he_ guessed? And what about the townspeople? But did it even matter? He was lying there so still, so pale. She knew from the sound that the blow had made that he was seriously hurt. Taking the cloth from Don Alejandro, she began to clean the wound gently.

"Victoria, I'm going to go see if the doctor can take a quick look at him. Or at least tell us what to do for him. I'll be back." Don Alejandro took a last look at his son. "I just can't believe..." He shook his head sadly and abruptly left the room.

The dust was still thick in the plaza. The scene that lay before Alejandro reminded him more of a battle scene than a village square. Don Alejandro de la Vega had been on the field of battle as a young man in Spain fighting for his king. There, you expected such a scene as this, but here! He waded through the dazed peasants and finally found Dr. Hernandez tending to a young woman with a musket wound in her side. He was having a hard time controlling the bleeding.

"Alejandro, good. Help me. Hold this there." Dr. Hernandez was methodically doing his job as if this background of dust and noise was part of a normal situation. "The peons are talking about Diego. They say he was hurt. He wasn't shot, was he?"

"No, not shot, but Dr. Hernandez, he suffered a bad blow to the head. I…I know you have your duties here… but could you tell us what to do for him. He is unconscious. It looks bad…." Alejandro was doing his best to stay calm, but the panic inside him was rising. It was becoming clear the doctor had too many patients and would not be able to rush to his own son's bedside.

"Unconscious? Well, nothing to do but keep him warm and watch him. It's one of the hardest things to treat. But he is young and strong. He should come round. I'll come and have a look at him as soon as I've finished up out here. I fear the good padre will have even more work than I from this day." He shook his head sadly as he looked around him at the devastation. "Why on earth would anyone …."

"Yes… I cannot understand …I haven't seen anything like this since…" Don Alejandro's voice trailed away as he walked back towards the tavern. Many faces turned his way and there were a good many whispers behind cupped hands being passed from one person to another. Don Diego de la Vega's name was being said with reverence, albeit in quiet whispers. The young caballero had surprised everyone that day. This peace-loving young man who always made a great show of incompetence and uselessness had turned into a hero right before their very eyes. Now his father, Don Alejandro, walked slowly back to the tavern, and the people stood aside silently to let him pass.

Diego had not moved.

When the doctor finally made it up to the tiny room where Diego lay, he declared the young man had suffered a major concussion. He tried to gently explain to Don Alejandro that it looked as if this injury was much more serious than he had thought at first. He had examined Diego's pupils and did not like what he had seen. He was afraid to elaborate on his diagnosis, for Don Alejandro did not look like he could take much more.

Dr. Hernandez cautioned Victoria to keep Diego warm and the room quiet and watch for fever. She seemed to be handling the situation far better than Don Alejandro, so he hoped he could rely on her to see that Diego got the care he would be needing. She did seem to be very attentive to him. If only the young man would stir. He hadn't even warned them yet about his true concern - that Diego might awaken, but not truly be the Diego they knew. He had seen this kind of head trauma before and knew what it could do to even the young and healthy.

"Well, that's about all I can do for now. I'll return in the morning. Send Felipe for me if there's any change. I will come. And you both should get some rest. You won't do him any good by just sitting here worrying. He may need you more than ever once he does wake up." Dr. Hernandez patted Victoria's hand, nodded to Don Alejandro and left.

"Victoria, I'll stay with him—"

"No, Don Alejandro, you will not. There is a bed two doors down. You will spend the night there and I will stay with Diego tonight. You can relieve me in the morning, but I will not leave him tonight. So don't even ask me to. Now go. You heard what the doctor said. You need your rest. It has been a long day." She took her seat by the bed and turned her back on Don Alejandro.

Alejandro thought to himself, "I've never noticed how much she reminds me of Elena!" Taking one more look at his son, he left the room. "And if she is going to act like my dear departed wife, I may as well resolve myself to doing as she commands!"

Victoria knew she would not be able to sleep this night anyway. All her thoughts would have been of Diego. Diego… Zorro…One and the same.

All this time and she had not made the connection. How could he have fooled her? She should have recognized his voice, his eyes. Had she been too close to Diego, too familiar with him, to notice? He had even tried to give her clues. She realized that now and various images flashed through her mind. The lines of poetry. That kiss in the de la Vega garden. Zorro telling her she should marry someone "like Diego"!

How she must have hurt him! The things she had said. They came back to her now with a clarity that made her cringe. She wouldn't blame him if he never forgave her. Was she even worthy of the love of this man? Now she knew that he desperately wanted her to love him as himself, as Diego. And all she could see was the hero! That was precisely what he had said was his greatest fear that day in the cave. The day Zorro had given her his mother's ring. Dona Elena de la Vega's ring! He was afraid she loved a hero and not the man. And the man, Diego, had been right by her side, day in and day out, being her best friend in all the world. Dear, sweet, kind Diego.

The two of them had grown up knowing each other. He had teased her, protected her, angered her, but he had never once failed her in anything. That's why the change that had come over him when he had returned from his four-year stay at the University in Madrid had been so hard to accept. He had come back, not as the matured young man she had expected, but as an overly studious scholar interested only in art, music and science. He had been totally unconcerned about the atrocities being committed in the pueblo de Los Angeles. It was as if he just didn't care about all that. And it had all been just an act.

She had known that Diego had been in love with her for a long time. And because she had held her love for another, she had all but ignored him. It had been purposely done. There were many times that she had felt a powerful physical and emotional attraction to him, but she knew she couldn't give into it. After all, she had promised to wait for Zorro. So she had acted toward him like a friend, a sister. She had done the same kind of thing with others that she had no intention of letting get close to her. It was something a woman learned to do. Had her own actions kept her from seeing the truth?

But he had acted his part well, too. He had hardly ever so much as kissed her hand. Why, he scarcely ever looked her straight in the eye! It had always been very endearing that he seemed so shy around her, but now she realized it had been more than that. He was protecting his identity. One soulful look and, well, she might have guessed. After all, his eyes had never been masked.

His eyes. Why wouldn't he open them now! She slipped out of the chair and began praying with all her heart. "Please let him wake up and come back to me." She prayed it silently over and over, again and again. Surely, God would forgive the simplicity of it.

She stroked his hand and caressed it gently. If he would only wake up and come back to her…. She had so much to say to him. She began sobbing again. The only sound in the room was the sound of Diego's watch ticking. Someone had laid it on the bedside table and the wood was magnifying the sound. It seemed to fill the room. She couldn't even hear his breathing!

For a moment she panicked. Then she leaned forward to touch his chest and found that it was rising and falling. He was breathing. She put her hands to her own breast to quiet her own breathing then bent down and kissed him. It was strange. Diego had never kissed her in all the time he'd known her. Well, not on the lips at any rate. There had been one or two quick pecks on her cheek or forehead, an occasional brotherly embrace, but never had he kissed her. Yet as Zorro, he had done so boldly on many occasions. She breathed in, deeply aware of the very smell of him. Yes, he was definitely Zorro. And if Diego had only kissed her once, she would have known. How could she not? Now she might never get the chance to taste those lips, alive with passion, ever again.

How was she going to get through this night! She had to be stronger than this. She had to be strong for him. For Diego. For Zorro. Yes, she had forgotten. This man before her was Diego, but he was also Zorro. And Zorro had never been defeated! This could not defeat Zorro. Zorro had been wounded before and had always recovered. He was the strongest, bravest man in all of California. Zorro could not die. She must remember that. Yes. That was what she needed to remember.

The morning came and Diego had still not opened his eyes. Victoria, Don Alejandro and Felipe all took turns sitting with him. The days wore on with one day dissolving into the next.

The tavern was all but closed for business. People were welcome to come in and visit the injured that still littered the room. Many brought food, and for that, Victoria was grateful. She was just not willing to make the effort for much of anything except seeing to Diego. Her employees were practically running the place as a hospital. Day by day, the injuries healed and the people began to drift away back to their own homes.

By the fifth day, the only visitors to the tavern were the occasional lancer checking in to make sure all was well. Sergeant Mendoza was the most frequent of the visitors, and he checked on Diego's health every chance he got. He was very concerned for his friend. He was also concerned for his stomach. The food at the commissary was just not up to the standards the Señorita had set. If only Diego would get better… there would be delicious tamales! And as soon as he thought it, he knew he should ask forgiveness for his selfishness. He would go see the padre. He could at least do that much.

The Alcalde, Ignacio De Soto, had kept a wary eye on the tavern and its inhabitants. He, of course, regretted that de la Vega had gotten hurt, but didn't it serve him right for his interference? What made him think he could take on a whole band of outlaws by himself like that? The rumors had abounded since the incident. Some said Don Diego was Zorro! How preposterous! The very idea! But then, what could one expect from the mouths of savages and peasants! He only wished de la Vega would awaken so he could show his true cowardly self again to all those doing such tongue wagging. "De la Vega," De Soto thought, "Zorro? Indeed! Why, Mendoza could just as likely be Zorro!"

By the sixth day, Victoria and Don Alejandro were beginning to show a weariness that began to worry Felipe. The rest each of them got was very minimal indeed, for each was lost in thoughts of the man who lay in that bed. Felipe, alone, would actually leave and go back to the hacienda. They didn't really miss him, and he did have responsibilities. Diego would never forgive him if Tornado went hungry. So he performed his usual tasks in the cave, even if they were done with a heavy heart, and he made his way back to the tavern as soon as they were finished.

Of the three, Felipe was definitely the most optimistic. He had always viewed his master and friend as more than a man. He did not doubt that Diego would awaken and be back to his old self soon. Felipe had seen much tragedy in his short life, but he refused to believe that it could touch Diego. He was worried, but he somehow knew that Diego would come through this. He always had. He always would.

It was while Felipe was sitting with Diego that the injured man finally opened his eyes.

Felipe was up and out the door in a second to go alert everyone. Victoria came running into the room to see Diego's eyelids flickering open. She knelt by the bed, taking his hand, and began muttering all kinds of assurances to him, barely even aware of what she was saying. Diego's room was suddenly filled with people and noise, and he groaned slightly as he fought back through a foggy haze to come back to the present.

"Diego, my son! How do you feel? We've have been so worried!" Don Alejandro began, "Son…"

"Oh, Diego" Victoria was on the verge of tears again, but she was trying to do her best to smile for Diego.

"Father?" Diego's voice was breathy and almost inaudible. His head was pounding and the light and noise of the room only made it worse. "What… on earth….?" He forced his eyes open and looked about the room. Seeing the look of concern on their faces, he immediately knew he had been the cause of it.

"Victoria… why…" He was very confused. Where was he? What had happened?

"My brave boy, you have had us scared to death!" Don Alejandro turned to Felipe. "Go get Dr Hernandez, Felipe. He wanted to know the moment there was any change."

Felipe shot an intense look at Diego and smiled broadly. "Everything will be all right now," he thought, and then bolted from the room.

Diego had seen the exchange between his father and the young boy. His gaze held on the space vacated by Felipe until he finally blinked hard. _"Something isn't right,"_ he thought. But turning to the girl at the side of the bed, his attention was pleasantly diverted. "Victoria… I don't believe it. What are _you_ doing here?" He took another slow uncertain look about the room. "Maybe I should ask 'what am I doing here?'"

"You don't remember?" Victoria was smiling. She could hardly contain her happiness. "Well, you do have quite a bump on your head for an excuse!" She and Don Alejandro could laugh about it all now. Diego was awake! The worrying was over, finally. He would recover and everything would be fine!

"Yes, Son, you had quite a time mixing it up with some bandits a few days ago. You were hit on the head." Don Alejandro turned serious. "We have been really worried about you, Diego. It was a nasty blow, and Dr. Hernandez was not exactly encouraging about it. But, look at you now!" He allowed himself a chuckle. "Well, as a matter of fact, you do look a little worse for wear. We probably all do! But you, Son, could definitely use a shave!"

Diego felt his chin. His father was right. "How long have I been unconscious?" It was a safe enough question. _Safe_. Odd, that word should come to mind. Something was telling him to watch his words. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was definitely wrong here.

"Almost a week!" Victoria still had his hand in hers.

She was looking at him in a way that made his heart leap for joy. _But why?_ _This is not right._ _What_ _has happened_ _while I have lain in this bed_?

"Do you think you could eat something? Maybe some soup? I know. A nice broth for the invalid. I'll go make some at once. You should have something. Don Alejandro, you take care of the shaving. And be careful! I'll not have this man suffer any more injuries while in my tavern! I expect that face to come through it all unscathed!" She was almost singing her words, she was so relieved and happy.

By the time she returned with the steaming bowl of broth, Diego was sitting up in bed. His father had helped him freshen up and his eyes looked a bit more in focus, but the confused look was still present on his face.

At first, he objected to the help she offered in feeding him the soup, but soon, he realized that he probably needed to be helped. He was awfully weak. After only a few spoonfuls, he was ready to lie back down again. The room was spinning and his head ached so.

The room seemed to be constantly filled with people with all of them talking at once. He smiled weakly, but offered little in the way of real conversation. Sergeant Mendoza came as soon as he heard the good news that Don Diego had awakened. His spirits had soared to know that his friend was better, and the good sergeant did his best to bring a cheeriness to the sickroom. He offered gossipy tidbits here and there, and stayed away from all the topics that Señorita Escalante had warned were off limits in the sickroom.

She had let it be known that no one was to tell Diego that anyone had died in the attack on the town. She was not going to let him be upset, as she knew he would be at that news. Not, at least, until he was better.

The next person to make an appearance in the room was the Alcalde himself. De Soto pranced into the room as if he were doing everyone a favor by gracing them with his presence. Diego's face showed complete surprise as he greeted his university acquaintance. "Ignacio! I don't believe it. What are _you _doing here?"

"Well, I came to pay my respects. Once I heard you had finally come round."

Don Alejandro broke in and asked, "Alcalde, have your men tracked down the bandits that got away? Or will we have to leave that to Zorro?" He let the derision he felt for the Alcalde show in his voice.

De Soto turned to Don Alejandro. "My men are on their trails as we speak. It's just a matter of time before we bring those ruffians in for justice. And I hope, Diego, you now will be a little more careful in the future, and leave the police business of this pueblo to my men! You see where it got you! We can't have our leading citizens be hurt in such a careless manner." He gave Don Alejandro a half-salute and abruptly left.

"Well, of all the..." Don Alejandro began. "I suppose we cannot expect much more of the man. At least, he did come to see you." Don Alejandro saw the look of confusion on Diego's face. "Oh, Son, don't let it trouble you. The man's an idiot. We all know that!"

The doctor came and went. Diego managed a few more mouthfuls of the very fragrant broth and even a little wine. Even the doctor had thought it might do him some good and would, at least, do no harm. Diego had seemed a trifle agitated since awakening and could use a little calming from the alcohol.

His agitation was probably understandable. It had to be unnerving to lose nearly a week of one's life. Dr. Hernandez did insist that Diego remain in bed right where he was for another day just to be safe. After that, he could begin to get back on his feet again gradually. He was probably going to suffer from a good deal of lightheadedness, some dizziness, and the headaches that went with such a head trauma. It was all very normal, so no one was to worry. In about a week, he expected Diego to be up and about his usual business.

That night, Victoria brought Diego another bowl of broth and a small glass of wine, just like the doctor ordered. As she was fussing about, plumping up the pillows, straightening the covers, even daring to push a lock of Diego's hair out of his eyes, Diego steeled himself to ask his question.

"Victoria, I think I can trust you, can't I?"

Victoria was surprised. "Of course, you can, Diego. What is it? I can see something's been troubling you." She thought to herself, 'he knows that I _know_. Here it comes.' But his question was nothing like the one she expected.

"Victoria, what is today's date?" He was looking as serious as she had ever seen him.

"Why, it is the 12th of November."

He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. The headache was growing much worse. "Victoria, I do not want to frighten you, but I have to know." He looked her squarely in the eyes.

"Diego..."

"Victoria, what year is it?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

Victoria's eyes widened in astonishment.

"What year—? Diego! You can't be serious!" She couldn't believe her ears! "Are you… do you mean that you…?" Her voice rose with each unfinished question.

"Victoria, Shhhh," Diego cut her off quickly. He didn't want any other ears to hear. "It will be all right, I am sure." He hoped he could convince her, for he certainly wasn't convincing himself. "I am just having a little difficulty at the present time remembering some things." The look on her face was still one of shock. "Victoria, please …just tell me the year." His voice portrayed a calmness that surprised even him. "Really, I need to know."

She told him the year and carefully studied his face. Her panic was subsiding somewhat because of his studied tone, but her mind was spinning, thinking of all the possibilities that his question had meant. The doctor had said that his injury might mean some changes in Diego, but she had never considered this!

Diego's mind was racing. Five years! _He had lost five years!_

He was shocked and he felt he had to hide that fact. How much more could he dare risk asking? One thing he needed to know was why he was feeling so secretive. There had to be a reason for this almost ominous warning in his brain not to say too much. What was is? Should he even trust Victoria?

He looked at her. This woman loved him! It was obvious. But the last he remembered of his relationship with her, his love had not been returned.

Victoria had always been besieged by admirers since their childhood. The young lads of the pueblo, those closer to her own station, displayed far more courage than he ever could in efforts to win her affections. He was a caballero's son. A de la Vega, even. He had purposely held back his own intentions from her, hoping that she would not succumb to any of her multitudinous offers before he could complete his education and be ready to offer her marriage. Anything less, because of the difference in their familial backgrounds, would have reflected badly on Victoria. Besides, making the leap from best friend to potential suitor was indeed a difficult one. But from the look on her face, he must have taken that step. But how? And when?

"Victoria…are we…I mean… are you…" The sweat began to bead on his brow. "I don't even know how to ask this."

"Diego, just what was the last thing you remember? Tell me. I will help you. You know that, don't you? I would do anything for you." The earnestness on her face was so very apparent. He wanted to trust her. But he still wasn't sure. "Diego, please!" Her voice began to rise in volume and pitch.

"Victoria, I am sorry. My head is throbbing so. I m not sure what I remember right now. Why don't you tell me what happened when I was hurt. Maybe it will jog my memory." He managed a weak smile for her.

She told him of the bandidos' rampage in the plaza. She watched his face intently as she described his own actions to him.

But his face was now masked yet again. He wore that nonchalant expression she had grown to know so well in the past few years. But now, she knew that it was as much a mask as the black satin one she had also seen him wear. He wasn't going to tell her just how big the gap in his memory was and that hurt. He didn't fully trust her. She felt the tears welling up behind her eyes.

Diego could see the emotions play plainly across her face. She had not changed so drastically in these five years. She was so beautiful. Why couldn't he be honest with her? This was madness. Why did every fiber in his being scream at him to tread carefully here? What could he have forgotten that was so important he couldn't be completely open with a woman staring at him with so much love in her eyes? As she finished her account of that day, he tried to lighten her mood.

"It sounds like I was a little reckless." He gave a little laugh and continued, "I don't think I'm usually that foolhardy, am I?" He patted the back of her hand and his tone turned serious. "I am fine, Victoria. I will remember everything in time, and all will return to normal in a few days. I am sure of it. I know you will be thankful to get the use of this room back and your tavern back to turning a profit. It does seem that you are the one person this situation has impacted financially more than anyone."

"Except for the relatives of the peons who were killed," she said soberly, letting slip the information she had carefully made everyone else avoid. Her hand clamped over her mouth, but it was too late.

"Killed! Nobody said anything about anyone being killed!" He was startled at her revelation.

"Oh, Diego. I shouldn't have said that." The words were out and she could already see the fire they had kindled in his eyes. "We had agreed that you shouldn't be worrying about that right now."

"How many?" There was now a dangerous look on his face. This was Zorro before her, not Diego.

"Five. Diego, it was terrible. Juan Morales left a wife and 4 young children. And Arturo Ramirez was to have been married next week…I didn't know the two other men. They were from Monterey and visiting the Guttierez family. And Marisa Santos was just 15 years old…" The tears did come then as she remembered the losses.

He raised up from the bed to put his arms around her in comfort. All at once, the simple action flooded his mind with the ever-present desire for her that dwelt in his heart. How had he gotten so close to her that she accepted such an intimate action on his part? He was lying in a bed, at night, wearing only minimal clothing, embracing the woman he loved. This could not be proper! His sensibilities were reeling. She had all but melted into his arms. He pulled away and looked into her eyes. She was not shocked. If anything, she was enjoying his closeness. How had they come this far!

"Victoria, I think…you …had better …go… This is…" He was beginning to stammer. What love could do to a man! "This …this…would be hard to explain. It was one thing to be with me like this, alone, at night when I was unconscious, but now that I'm recovering…well, it just…"

"Diego, you are such a prude! How like you to think of —"

"Please. Victoria, we will talk tomorrow. Really! Everything will be just fine. You must trust me." He smiled the smile of Zorro and she felt his confidence flow to her. She gathered the tray and left him, silently vowing to herself to help him gain his memory back at all costs. She would not lose him now!

The next morning, Diego's father helped him into the carriage in front of a very silent entourage of onlookers. There were people scattered up and down the street watching the young caballero with interest, but all were strangely quiet. It was as if everyone in the town had made a pact to voluntarily ignore the magnitude of the situation that surrounded Don Diego de la Vega. Everyone present knew a _secret_ about him and yet not one man would have told that secret to another on pain of death. He was Zorro. He was their hero, their friend and their patron. And he was now more than all of that.

When the people had discovered Zorro to be a rich caballero, it had made his sacrifice for them all the more incredible. Don Diego had risked his freedom and his very life for them when he could so easily have only led the life he had pretended to lead. He had done so much for them these past years as both Don Diego and Zorro that he would never be betrayed by any of them. The secret of Zorro was safe. It was safe in the hearts and minds of every person in the pueblo.

Every person except one. The Alcalde, coming out of his office door, noticed the scene before him in disgust. So de la Vega was well enough to travel! Well, it was about time the pueblo returned to normal and the sniveling peasants got back to their work!

It was just as well that Zorro had not been causing any trouble lately. For his lancers were so busy elsewhere, they would have been hard pressed to try to capture him. But they would be ready for him soon. De Soto was almost gleeful as he thought about his latest scheme. Forty more lancers were going to be assigned to his quartel this month! It had been a coup to gain the positions, but he had made his argument to the Governor and won. Zorro was going to be in his jail before too long. No, make that in a coffin! For now, it was time for deadly force to be used. Once he had Zorro dead and buried, he would be one giant step closer to getting out of this stinking pueblo. One step closer to Madrid and the recognition he deserved!

Don Alejandro was watching Diego's pained expressions as the carriage bounced over the rough road. "Son, hang on. We'll be there soon. It may have been a mistake to take you home so quickly. You don't look well at all!"

"I will be fine. It is just a headache. And Dr. Hernandez did say that headaches would be expected, did he not? I just want to get home. Sleeping in my own bed will make all the difference in the world. But that reminds me, you did make sufficient remuneration to Victoria for all the expenses of the past week, didn't you?"

"Yes, I took care of that, though it was a bit of a struggle to get her to take anything. That girl can be quite stubborn when she sets her mind to something—"

"And what about the victims of the shootings? Can we do something for them? Victoria was telling me that—"

Don Alejandro assured his son decisively. "Son, Felipe and I have been very busy in that regard, and I don't want you to even think about all of that. I don't want you dwelling on any part of this incident. Time enough for that later when you're back to full health. Right now, the order of business if to get some meat back on those bones and some color back in those cheeks."

Felipe signed his agreement by pinching his own cheeks and pointing to Diego.

"Felipe and I have made quite a team this past week with you laid up. Haven't we, my boy?"

Diego smiled at Felipe. The boy could look at you as if he could see through to your very soul. Diego had to avert his eyes. Felipe had changed so much. It was hard to imagine how their relationship had changed in the past 5 years. Perhaps Felipe would be the one to trust. But he was going to have to work at communicating with Felipe. He seemed to be using a whole new language of signs that Diego had a difficult time following. It was very plain that Felipe expected Diego to understand him perfectly and was confused as to why he didn't.

"I had hoped you might be well enough to make the trip to Santa Paulo for the cattle auction next week. But I do believe we had better not count on it. Felipe, I think it's time that maybe you take on some new responsibilities and make the journey. We will leave Diego at home this time and let him recuperate. I'm sure a certain young Señorita will drop in to check on him, eh?" he said with a wicked little smile and elicited a great big grin from Felipe. "I see you have been making great gains in that direction, Diego. Perhaps my dreams of grandbabies will soon be a reality!"

"Father, really!" Diego feigned a look of indignation. "But I think you are right. Felipe would enjoy the trip, and I could use a little time on my own to adjust. It is an excellent idea." He looked over at Felipe who was beginning to show a little more ease.

Felipe hadn't exactly thought Diego would agree to the idea. But the fact that he did must mean that all was well.

He had thought Diego would be planning on tracking down the rest of the bandidos. It was not like Zorro to leave loose ends dangling. And the bandidos that escaped were still running free. There was also still no explanation for the raid on the pueblo. They had not robbed. They had only killed and wounded. It had not made any sense. And those men had behaved so, well, wildly!

And now, it was said they were acting even stranger. The captured men had not talked at all. It was even rumored that they were in a sort of dazed state and had refused all offers of food. Yet their thirst was great! They were to be transferred soon to the prison at San Pedro and that was unusual too. The evidence against them was overwhelming, and yet they were not to be tried, sentenced or hanged, just transferred. It was all very strange. It was just the sort of mystery to get Zorro back in business.

Then there was the matter of most in the town now knowing just who Zorro was. It had been amazing. But from all accounts, it was as if everyone in the pueblo had guessed that day that Don Diego was Zorro. But now, not one single person was willing to openly say it. There seemed to be an unspoken agreement that Zorro would be protected and Diego de la Vega could continue his secret life in "secret".

Zorro's father had known this "secret" for quite some time. He had kept his knowledge from his son, hoping that someday Diego would tell him on his own. But that day had not come. All he could do in the mean time was to help him whenever he could by generally just not hindering him, which is what he had done so often in the past without knowing it. But from the day he had figured it out, he had changed all that. Though he had to admit, there were times that he had been unable to resist the temptation to play a few tricks on this errant son of his. It served him right for all those years of not trusting him with the secret of El Zorro. Someday soon, they would have to sit down and have a nice long talk about all this. He needed that.

For one thing, he had a lot of apologizing to do to his son. There were words he had said to him that he wished with all his heart he could take back and erase from his own memory, especially that one word, "coward". Now, it was almost comical to think he had ever had that thought about Diego. But at the time… It just proved what an excellent play actor his son was. The stage had lost a fine talent in his son! He had fooled the whole of California. He had probably gotten that talent from his mother. How she would have reveled in her son today!

The carriage rolled to a stop in front of the hacienda. Several of the house servants and even a few from the stables had assembled to greet the de la Vega men.

Diego was ushered inside by a very motherly, older woman. Obviously the housekeeper, Diego thought. He wished he could remember her name. Soon, he found himself tucked in bed like a little boy. This wasn't exactly what he had wanted, but it was hard to refuse the woman. She was soon bringing in steaming bowls of mouth-watering foods and a wonderful fruit juice drink (which had been carefully mixed with a nice sleeping potion according to Dr Hernandez's directions). And before long, he was dozing comfortably amid freshly plumped pillows and scented sheets.

Preparations for the trip to Santa Paulo had proceeded. But as the time for the trip approached, Felipe was growing more agitated. Diego could see it in his manner plainly and wondered at the cause. He and Felipe had progressed a little in getting to know one another again, but Diego could not understand why Felipe would be so reluctant to go on this trip with his father. He was almost in a panic about it.

"Felipe, you will have a marvelous time. I cannot imagine why you do not want to go."

Felipe signed that he did not want to leave Diego. He had his chores.

"Felipe, your chores will be performed quite adequately by others. You just need to relax and have a good time." Diego was beginning to be able to follow Felipe's signing better, but there were times it was absolutely hopeless. "Felipe, slowly. I cannot understand you when you—."

Felipe signed about feeding the horses. "The stablemen will do all that. There is nothing to worry about." Felipe pointed to Diego with great meaning. "Yes, I will see to it. I really do not know why you should worry. Things have a way or working out, do they not? Now, let's see if we can find a sash that will match that, shall we? As a representative of the de la Vega household, you must convey just the right touch of élan. Here. Yes, this one will do nicely." And so he continued to go on and on about the most unimportant small details.

Felipe was exasperated with Diego. Over the last few days, it had become obvious to Felipe that Diego was not quite himself. Or rather, the problem was that he was too much like himself. Like Diego. And he had forgotten so many things. He called servants by the wrong names and had asked about a nearby neighbor that had died two years ago. He had yet to go into the cave and he had not even asked about Tornado. He had not talked about the Bandidos and his plans for finding them.

Felipe was beginning to wonder if his memory was more than just a little patchy, as he claimed. It was as if he couldn't remember being Zorro at all! But that was impossible, even inconceivable.

Diego saw his father and Felipe off at the door and gave a sigh of relief. Now, maybe he could get somewhere with remembering. He wouldn't have to pretend so much and could concentrate on the problem at hand. A few flashes of memory had come to him here and there, but they just didn't make any sense.

He sensed that the library was a key to something of his past. He had been drawn there from the moment he had entered the hacienda. So he made his way into that room and sat on the chair by the window. Now if he could only just concentrate. The headache this caused was substantial. The more he strained at the haziness of his mind, the more intense the pain. But it could be endured. Shadows played across his mind. All he had to do was tame those shadows. He shifted his gaze about the room.

The piano. He could visualize playing the piano. Chopin, Mozart and Brahms. Sonatas, etudes and minuets. He knew the fingering for the keys. But that was a memory of before…

He looked toward the window…. He could see a telescope set up there in his mind. It was not there now. But it had been placed there from time to time. Where was it now? Hmm.

He looked toward the fireplace. There was no fire, now. It was unseasonably warm just now. The fireplace. His eyes narrowed and he frowned as he tried to force the memory into focus. Yes, there was something meaningful there. But what was it? He got up and crossed over to the fireplace and examined the objects on the mantle with interest. Nothing seemed significant to him. They were all things of his father's.

He rubbed his brow. The headache was worse. He leaned heavily against the mantle, willing the pain away, and as he did so, his hand found and pressed a hidden lever! It was almost as if his body knew something his mind did not. He stepped back and looked on, amazed, as a hidden door inside the fireplace opened to reveal a secret passage! This is it, he thought. But was he ready for it? He toggled the lever again and the door closed. He was beginning to tremble slightly with the excitement of his discovery.

"Diego!" He turned to see Victoria standing in the doorway. "How are you doing? I thought I'd better check on you. I can't believe that Don Alejandro and Felipe have gone on their trip and left you by yourself.' She was taking off her shawl and making herself at home.

"Alone? Victoria, there is a houseful of servants at my beck and call. I wouldn't exactly call that alone. Here, let me take that."

"Well, still, I don't think they should have left you just now. It's too soon after your ordeal. How are the headaches? You look like you have one right now." She was looking at him with that stern look that told him he might as well give in and be pampered a little. And it would be pleasant to just spend some time with her. The passage could wait. He wasn't sure he was ready to face what was behind it anyway.

"How could my head ache when such beauty stands before me?" He smiled as he took her hand and kissed it softly.

"How sweet!" And how like something Zorro would have said, she thought. "It seems that blow on the head has turned you into quite a charmer. But, here, sit." She gestured toward a chair. "Let's try to ease those lines in that handsome brow of yours." Smiling, she pushed him firmly down into the chair and went around his back and began massaging his temples with her fingertips.

For the next few moments, he allowed himself the luxury of her gentle touch. They both kept the conversation light and playful while their innermost thoughts were of everything that was being unsaid. Victoria wondered what questions to ask him that would tell her just how much he remembered. Diego was consumed with just how much he had forgotten, and how to keep her from realizing it. They laughed together and teased each other and thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. Diego's headache seemed to ease a little more with each passing moment.

But the visit was cut short by the unexpected arrival of the Alcalde. De Soto made a little small talk with the two before he made it clear to Victoria that he had important matters to discuss with Diego and that her presence was not wanted.

"Really, Alcalde, Diego is not up to any of your business discussions! He has only just come home and he needs rest and quiet!" She was bristling at the Alcalde's whole attitude. "You can just—"

"Victoria, there is no need to defend me like a mother tiger! I think I can manage to live through whatever Ignacio came all the way out here to say."

Diego's mind was racing, weighing the possibilities of which of these two would be the most difficult to stave off from asking things he did not want to be asked. Victoria's questions were confusing to him. There was so much he needed to know about what had happened between the two of them in the past five years before he could spend too much time with her safely.

And Ignacio! Diego wasn't even sure at this point what he thought of the man. His father had called him "an idiot". That didn't even make sense. Diego only knew him from Madrid and the man was a very driven, very clever student that had done extremely well in school. Now he was the Alcalde of Los Angeles!

He turned to Victoria. "Victoria , would you mind? There are some things I would like to discuss with the Alcalde. And I'm sure you should be getting back to the tavern soon anyway. I do appreciate your coming this afternoon. I am already so much in your debt. I will try to come into town tomorrow, and we will have a nice long talk. But will you forgive me for now if I seem inhospitable?"

"Yes, of course, Diego. I understand." But the look she shot at De Soto belied the tone of her words. "I will expect you tomorrow and bring a hearty appetite, because I plan on making you the most delicious meal you've ever had, and getting back those pounds on that frame that you seem to have lost lately!" She took her leave, smiling brightly at Diego and shooting a wilting look at the Alcalde.

As the door closed behind her, Diego laughed and said, "Ignacio, if looks could kill…This had better be good. I was quite enjoying her visit, you know."

"Yes, I could see that. You two seem to be the talk of the pueblo lately." De Soto gave a little grunt that signaled his impatience with the whole subject. "Diego, what I really wanted to talk to you about was this. I have gotten approval from the Governor recently to expand the military garrison of Los Angeles. We are a growing community and the central government is finally realizing the needs we have here." De Soto was positively swaggering back and forth across the room as he talked. 

"That's wonderful. But what kind of expansion are we talking about?"

"More soldiers! What else? We will be getting quite a few men assigned to my command in the near future and some of these men will be very well trained." He accented his last words with the appropriate pointing finger in the air. At least one of the men will be an excellent marksman and one other has had some extensive training in England in the very latest detective techniques! They will be quite an addition to my quartel."

"That's most impressive, Ignacio! When will they arrive?" he said aloud. But silently, he wondered, "Why does that bit about an "excellent marksman" bother me so much?"

"Well, I'm not quite sure of the exact date. But it will be soon. In fact, I have it on good authority that the governor himself is on his way to Los Angeles right now to go over the final details with me. And that brings me to my point. In order to finance the burden of these extra troops, there will have to be some sacrifices made by the good people of the pueblo. A tax increase is necessary and inevitable! I was hoping that the de la Vegas would help me present this idea to the people in the hopes of making it sound a little more palatable."

When Diego said nothing, he continued, "I know we've had some differences in the past over some tax issues, but surely, you can see that this tax will be necessary for the good of the people."

"It certainly won't do _you_ any harm either to increase the number of soldiers under your command" thought Diego, but he remained silent as he looked the Alcalde over appraisingly.

"Your position with the newspaper will be invaluable in informing the people of the need for this expansion. I hope I will have your support in this matter." He almost heaved a sigh of relief upon finishing his carefully prepared speech.

"May I ask the reason that we are being honored with this… opportunity to pay more taxes?" Diego asked quietly. He was still digesting this new bit of information that he must write articles of some kind for the local newspaper!

"Well, it is needed! We are a growing community!" He searched for words. "Did I tell you that the Governor has approved this?"

Diego rose from his chair. "Yes, I believe you did. Tell me, Ignacio, does this have anything to do with the attack on the pueblo by those bandidos? Or does it have more to do with Zorro?"

Ahhh! He seemed to be making some headway here, if he was reading Diego properly. "Well, between you and me, Diego, the decision was really made before the attack. I have been requesting the additional help for some time now. That infernal Zorro has become so widely know that it was really the need for his capture that led to this. It is quite a blot on the record of the garrison that he still remains free after so long a time. I think I finally convinced the governor that it is a reflection on him too."

De Soto did not feel the need to inform Diego that the governor, at one point, was leaning toward some sort of amnesty decree for Zorro. But now, he had mysteriously changed his mind about the whole thing! There would be no pardons for the outlaw. There were plans in the works that would solve the problem of El Zorro once and for all. He didn't intend to let the villain live long enough for the governor to change his mind again. "The problem is the funding!" De Soto continued. "They will provide for the men's salaries and provisions for only so long and then Los Angeles will have to take over—"

"Yes, yes, I can see your problem. But Ignacio, I may not be the one to talk to about this just now. I have been, shall we say, experiencing a slight problem with my memory lately. And it is hard for me to focus on the current situation without some background into this 'need' you speak of. But I do think I know of a way you might help me in this. Do you possibly have some kind of record of the activities of Zorro and the outlaws that have caused trouble for Los Angeles? It would be helpful for any articles that I write to explain the situation if I had specifics that I could include."

De Soto beamed. "Well of course, I have a full book of the nefarious deeds of that disgusting man. And there are other files as well. What a good idea! Then you could point out specific instances and win the people over to the idea—Oh, but wait, I don't think I can." His face fell. "The regulations state quite clearly that those type of records cannot be seen by eyes outside of the command officers."

His shoulders lowered. Just his luck! Diego would have to have a problem with his memory just when he needed his help. De Soto let himself ignore the fact that he couldn't have even brought himself to ask for Diego's help if his memory had been intact. It was only now that he thought there might be a chance that Diego would consider taking his side in this matter. After all, he had nearly been killed in the attack on the pueblo. And Don Alejandro was out of town….

"Well, Ignacio, I really don't think I will be much help without some background information. But I do promise to talk to my father, and I'm sure he will get back to you and let you know his position on all this." And that was certainly the truth. Diego was thinking just how fortunate it was that his father had not been here to hear about this new tax. De Soto would probably be nursing a sore jaw right now and his father would be headed for jail! "Father was right about one thing," he thought, "the man is an idiot!"

On his way to the door, he turned to Diego. "Diego, there is one small thing…. Lately, you have taken to addressing me by my given name. You really should be addressing me by my title. I've made allowances so far, but in the future, I shall expect—"

"I will try to remember that, _Alcalde_."

Immediately after shutting the door, Diego made his way straight to the library and the fireplace. He grabbed a candelabra from a nearby table, touched the secret panel and the door opened. He didn't even hesitate this time.

He went right on in and found himself in a passageway leading slightly down. There was very little here, so it took only seconds for him to figure out that the sconce on the wall was the mechanism to shut the door. He followed the passage down some steps and then stopped as it opened into a huge cavern-like room.

Then it was true! All those whispers he had heard behind his back during his stay in town had not quite prepared him for this, but at least it was not a total shock. Looking to his left, he saw raven colored silk draped over a tall coat stand. He walked over and fingered the material, lifted the black hat and then pulled the saber from the hanging scabbard.

At least, the sword was familiar! It was Sir Edmund's. He remembered when his fencing master had given him this fine sword of Toledo steel. It had taken some time to get accustomed to the weight of the heavy saber, but now it was like an extension of his own wrist. He sliced at the air and grinned at the feeling it gave him.

A shuffling sound came suddenly from the back of the cave, and immediately his whole body tensed as he turned to listen. He relaxed as he realized that no human had made the noise. A soft whickering led him to a small stable area and to a great, black stallion. The horse nosed at him eagerly with complete trust. If there was ever any doubt in his mind, it was gone now. This was Zorro's horse. He was standing in Zorro's lair. There could be no mistake. "_I am Zorro_!" he said with just a note of wonder.

The horse finally brought him back from his reverie. Tornado neighed loudly. It was plain that he was ready for some action. He had been ignored for far too long. He wanted to run!

"Are you hungry, boy?" Diego patted the horse soothingly. Another mystery was solved. It was apparent that Felipe knew everything. The alarm he had displayed with the feeding of the horses was about this horse. He must be worried sick that Diego didn't remember enough to take care of Tornado in his absence. It was also evident that his father did not know about his son's double life, since Felipe had never broached the subject in Don Alejandro's presence. "Well, finally, I'm making headway in learning about my own life!" He could at least talk to the horse freely. How he wished Felipe were here now! There were still a million other questions to be answered.

"And there's the most important question of all, Tornado. Just what kind of a man is Zorro?" Diego carried on his monologue while busying himself taking care of Tornado's needs. "He's a wanted criminal, an outlaw, and an enemy of the people according to the Alcalde. How in the world did I get myself into that? I've always considered myself to be a peaceful man. No, there must have been a reason that I felt the need to resort to all this." He looked about the cave. "Now, the laboratory…that will be to my liking! I can think of quite a few things to look into already in that area." He rubbed his forehead. "And the first thing will be to find a cure for these accursed headaches!"

He continued his survey of the cave and found several bound books of notes in his own handwriting. Only a few notations were of practical use in his search for his own past.

"I must remember to start a proper journal, Tornado. I just wish I had thought of it before. It would be invaluable now. But we'll have to make do with what's available, and I know of a certain volume that I would like to examine! Isn't it lucky that I am already an outlaw since it will take an illegal act in order to obtain it?" He chuckled. "That book of the Alcalde's should answer a lot of questions about the crimes I have committed." Diego smiled. "Of course, it may be a little bit one-sided. I will have to remember that and obtain an opposing viewpoint too!" He laughed out loud. For all of this, the cave, Tornado, the idea of traipsing about the peublo in a black silk cape and mask was beginning to feel not quite so strange anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

Tornado knew well the way to Los Angeles. Both horse and rider thoroughly enjoyed the moonlit ride with the crisp, cool, night wind at their backs. That moon could be a problem later. He had hoped for a dark night for his "first" crime. But he was strangely confident in his abilities to get through all this successfully.

A little way from the gates of the pueblo, he dismounted and led Tornado to a quiet place near the back of the tavern. He left the horse there and made his way soundlessly across the street and down toward the quartel.

He dodged a lone soldier on sentry duty easily by dissolving into the shadows, the black of his costume blending into the darkness. Before long, he had determined which building the office of the Alcalde was in and was ascending to the rooftops. It would be easier to avoid the lancers straggling back from the tavern if he were above them.

He discovered a skylight that led directly down into the room. How easy this was! Within minutes, he was dropping silently down from the ceiling rafters. His search took only few minutes, and within half an hour of entering the pueblo, Zorro was back with Tornado secreting his 'loot' in his saddlebags.

Light from a window above suddenly shown, and he retreated to the shadows once more. He stared at the window and calculated the location of the room inside the building. He was fairly sure it was Victoria's room. He mentally went over the layout of the tavern's upper floor. At least it was a place he had been in recently. Yes, it had to be her room. Well, he might as well try this now. After all, he was dressed for the occasion!

He made a leap for a handhold on the wall and began climbing. Just outside the window, he paused to watch Victoria as she brushed her hair before her dresser. This was going to take far greater courage than breaking into the Alcalde's office! Swallowing hard, he knocked softly on the window.

As Victoria whirled around, her hand went to her throat. When she made out a black, shadowy shape, she flew to the window to open the latch.

"Zorro!"

"Victoria." He tried to make his voice a bit huskier and deeper than usual. Would that be what he had done before as Zorro? Taking her hand, he kissed it gently. Surely Zorro was a gentleman. Wouldn't he greet her with a kiss of the hand? He was beginning to wonder if he had made a mistake in coming to her. If he had no idea how to act toward her, how could he possible know how she was going to react to his presence?

"Well, don't just stay there. Get in. Get in!" She pulled him into the room. "I can't believe it. You're here!" She hugged him tightly. "Are you all right? Are they chasing you?" She was checking him over for wounds as if she feared to find them and as if she had always done it!

"Victoria, I am quite well." He must remember to keep his voice deeper. "I just thought I would take the opportunity to see you for a few minutes. I had some… business… in town."

"Business! Yes, you do conduct your business at this time of night." She grinned at him. It was the first time since her discovery that she had seen him as Zorro and she searched his face for the look of Diego. Just to be sure, she thought. And it was there. But still, there was a difference.

He did seem larger than life dressed this way. Maybe it was understandable that she had missed Diego underneath the mask. Even now that she knew, it was hard to imagine removing the mask and seeing Diego's gentle face. Suddenly, she was alarmed. How should she act toward Zorro? She had only been dealing with Diego. And he did not know that she knew!

"Victoria, I need some answers to some questions."

She nodded. She knew that his "business" always took precedence over any personal conversation between them. He continued in a low serious tone, "I need to know the general 'feel' of the people toward the Alcalde right now. I have been…. away….and I have come across some information that may hinge on the attitude they have for the military presence in the pueblo right now."

The people feel the same as always about the Alcalde and his men."

"Oh, wonderful!" Zorro thought. This kind of answer he didn't need! He had hoped he would be the one being vague. She had to give him some answers. "Continue," he said simply, hoping she would regard it as a command.

"So," she thought to herself, "maybe he has remembered being Zorro, but he hasn't remembered much else. He's fishing for information! Well, at least he's come to me for the answers."

She turned away from him to collect her thoughts and then continued aloud, "The people of this pueblo have been just about pushed to their limit with the ridiculous taxes that De Soto and the former alcalde, Ramon, have imposed on them. As soon as they get away with one tax, they come up with something new. And the people never have anything to show for it! You have been our only hope against this so-called government. We are so far away from Spain and the governor, and it is hard to make them see our problems."

Talking to him passionately for what seemed like hours, she told him of the atrocities that had been enacted by the two alcaldes. She described his own adventures to him by telling him the reactions of some of the people he had helped.

Watching his eyes intently, she finally brought the subject around to their own relationship. She had been going over what she was going to have to say to him for days now. It was the only way. She knew that. But, oh how she loathed doing this!

"Your fight for justice has taken so long, Zorro. The promise that you made to me….. I look at the ring every night before I go to sleep. I just don't know how long I am supposed to wait. You once told me I should marry someone else, someone like Diego. Well, lately, I have been looking at Diego in a new light. He was so brave when the pueblo was attacked. He reminded everyone of you on that day. Have you heard that?"

He didn't answer.

She started to slowly pace about the room. That way she wouldn't have to look at him as she talked. His stare was beginning to be painful.

"Diego has been my best friend for years and I never really thought of him as ever being any more than that till now. But he is so good, so kind, and now that I know that he has the same courage in his heart that you have in yours…. I have begun to think that…." She was treading dangerously now. It was difficult to reject someone you loved so desperately, even if it meant you were letting him know that you loved his true self. She thought she knew what she was doing, but would he understand? She had to try to make him. She could feel his bewilderment. "Zorro… I …I don't know how to say this…"

"Victoria," his voice was barely a whisper, "I understand. I … I really need to be going. I have stayed here far too long. You have clarified much for me tonight. Thank you." He crossed over to her and stood looking down at her. They both felt the pull of the other. He wiped a tear from her face with a gloved hand and drew her to him. They kissed passionately. But only once.

He turned and was gone before she opened her eyes.

She cried herself to sleep that night clutching the ring in her hand. Had he noticed that she had not given it back? She probably should have, but it was her one link to him. As long as she had the ring, Zorro was hers. And she really wanted both men. For he was truly both Zorro and Diego.

Zorro kept Tornado to a walk on the way back to the hacienda. He was lost in deep thought about all that he had learned tonight. Victoria's words weighed heavily on him. She had essentially told him that she was ending the relationship with Zorro in order to have one with Diego. That was good, wasn't it? Then why did he feel so badly about this?

And what was that bit about a ring? Zorro had given her a ring. And if he were going to give her a ring, he knew exactly which ring it would be. He'd have to look in his father's room for the emerald ring that belonged to his mother tonight. If it wasn't there…well, that would be another mystery explained. Maybe when he saw her again tomorrow as Diego, he would be able to shake this feeling. This was getting rather complicated. Had he lived like this for the past five years? How had he kept it all straight?

Of course, he hadn't had to deal with these blasted headaches for all that time! They did take their toll on one. He must look through all those books in the cave for one on the medical sciences. Maybe there was some medicinal herb he could find that might help with them. He surely didn't need the distractions they were causing. He had work to do.

The problems of the pueblo seemed overwhelming. Now he knew why Zorro existed. And he suspected this book of the crimes of Zorro was going to be able to explain that fact even better. After hearing Victoria expound on the virtues of Zorro, he was no longer consumed with guilt over unknown deeds. He may have acted outside the law, but it did appear that he had never taken a life. And he had been on the side of justice even when the law had failed to be.

That brought to mind those bandits. He wished he could remember that day. It would help if he knew what they had all looked like. After so long a time, it would be impossible to track the ones who escaped. So it would be the captured ones that would have to help him. He would have to think about this. They were apparently going to be transferred day after tommorow. That would give him time to think of something.

He guided Tornado to the formation of rocks that hid the entrance to the cave. The horse stepped precisely on the concealed plate and the doorway opened. And for one brief moment, a memory of this slice of time replayed across Diego's mind. What was that word the French had for it? Déjà vu? Yes, he had done this many times before tonight.

Once he had Tornado brushed down, Diego slipped out of his costume and into his customary ruffled shirt and slim pants. He fetched the book from the saddlebags and settled into the chair, propped his legs upon the huge table and began reading.

From page one, the accounts of "Zorro the outlaw" read like a litany of sins against humanity itself. Alcalde Luiz Ramon had begun this tome just after Diego had returned from Madrid. It had been continued by De Soto with the last entry being made just 3 weeks ago. Zorro had released prisoners from jail, prevented floggings, stolen money (from the de la Vega's accounts at the bank, imagine that!) and generally made fools of a good many military men. He had also captured bandits, rescued a couple of kidnapped children, prevented several robberies and come to the aid of many peasants, peons and caballeros in need of help.

"Both of the alcaldes should have gone into literary careers," Diego mumbled, "for in making the exploits of Zorro sound like crimes in print, they have accomplished a work of fiction indeed!"

He would return the book tomorrow when he went into town to see Victoria. Tomorrow might prove to be a very interesting day.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

Sleep did not come easily that night. Diego tossed and turned, his mind kept replaying every single minute of his encounter with Victoria. Perhaps he shouldn't have gone to her until he was more familiar with the persona of Zorro. Perhaps he should have waited for Felipe to return… or perhaps… his headache had returned with a vengeance. Well, if he could get no sleep tonight, he could at least do something useful with the time.

Morning found him in the cave, deep in study of the most recent advances in the medicinal arts of pain relief. He was most impressed with his own laboratory and the accompanying library of reference books. There was an ample supply of the various chemicals and equipment he was going to need to exact a duplication of the experiment in question.

By lunchtime, he was ready to begin and had everything he needed except for the raw ingredient itself. Now, all he needed was some bark from a willow tree. Luckily there was one just behind the kitchen door. "Oh," he thought, looking at his watch, "I'd better be making an appearance before I worry the servants."

But apparently the de la Vega household was well used to the unusual sleeping habits of the young caballero. The cook had waited for word before beginning a meal for him, so Diego made a request of what he wanted. By the time he had returned from the wine cellar with his selection, the basket was ready.

Arriving in town, he was well aware of the reaction he was eliciting from the citizens, but he didn't quite understand it. People weren't exactly staring at him; they quickly averted their gaze once he caught their eyes. But he did feel he was the center of attention. He returned the acknowledgements from those that he saw and bowed to the señoritas that he passed. It was a relief when he finally reached the tavern and escaped all those prying eyes.

He stood in the doorway, watching Victoria as she worked, filling glasses and taking care of her customers. She really did look like she enjoyed running this tavern. But today, he noticed with some concern, she also looked tired. When she turned and saw him, she immediately crossed over to him, took his arm and guided him to a table.

"Just in time for lunch, Diego" She smiled at him. "You sit here and I will bring you some soup for starters. And then there's some delicious—"

"Victoria, I had hoped that maybe you and I could…well… get away… for a few hours. Perhaps a picnic?"

"Why, Diego! That sounds like a lovely idea. I'll go and let Maria know. And I will pack some lunch for us."

"No need for that. I've already taken care of it. Just meet me outside in about twenty minutes. There's something I have to do before we leave." Then he excused himself and left her standing there, shaking her head at this unexpected offer from him.

Diego walked casually across the street, greeting people along the way and hoping he could make it though this afternoon without making some mistake that would expose his deficient memory.

As soon as he neared the door of the alcalde's office, De Soto emerged.

"Don Diego!" De Soto was all smiles. Until he could elicit the help he needed from de la Vega, he had to carry on this charade of friendship.

"Alcalde," Diego nodded, "I was just wondering…for my article, of course… just how the quartel would be enlarged to accommodate the sleeping arrangements for the added soldiers? Would you be likely to add on to the building in this direction over here?"

"Yes, yes, that would be the plan. We would be utilizing the funds requested with the utmost frugality, to be sure." It looked like Diego would be helping him out after all!

"Well, I just thought I'd look around and get some ideas, if you don't mind. I will try to stay out of the way of your men, Alcalde." Diego smiled his most innocent smile.

"Not at all, not at all. Just feel free to conduct your inspection. I'll tell my men to give you a full run of the place!" De Soto turned to go find his sentry to give his orders. "This is going to work out fine after all," he thought to himself. "With a de la Vega on my side, how can I lose?"

Diego wandered around the perimeter of the building for a few minutes, before entering by a back door into the alcalde's office. He withdrew the book he had under his jacket and returned it to the drawer of the desk. It hadn't even been missed. With that done, he made his way back to the tavern.

Victoria had changed into a pale yellow dress that caught his eye even from down the street. How perfectly beautiful she looked! Diego couldn't wait to get her alone all to himself, if just for a little while.

"Finished with your _business_?" She put just the tiniest bit of emphasis on the word. And it had just the intended effect on him. He was taken aback, but only for a moment. After all, it was a common word.

"Yes, all done. I am yours for the afternoon." He mounted his horse and extended his hand to her. As he lifted her up easily onto the saddle in front on him, she was reminded of all the times he had done this very same thing as Zorro. This was sheer heaven! She could feel the solid strength in the arms around her and she felt his light breath on the back of her neck.

Many heads turned to see the two on horseback as they left the square. There was no whispering gossip, however. Knowing glances passed from one to another as each silently voiced their approval of this development in the romance between the two young people. It was the only solution to Zorro's problematic romance with the Señorita. He would have to let Don Diego have the girl!

Diego guided the horse through the gates of the pueblo and on down the road for a couple of miles. Then they turned off the road and stopped near a small stream that lay sheltered amid a stand of cottonwood trees.

He dismounted and with his two hands spanning her small waist, gently lowered her from the horse.

At once, as if on cue, they both felt the awkwardness of the situation. Then Diego remembered the food and quickly went about retrieving it from the saddlebags. They spread a cloth on the cool grass and soon they had a small feast before them. Maria had done her job well. She had even included the wineglasses.

Before long, they had taken their fill and were leaning up against a tree trunk sipping the wine and reminiscing about childhood events of long ago. They had relaxed to the point that they could even argue.

"No, that's not how I remember it. It was you. You were the one responsible. If it hadn't been for—"

"Very well, Victoria, I confess. It was I. But if I hadn't—"

"Will you listen to us?" She smiled at him sweetly. "After all these years, we can still argue about those apples!" They both laughed.

"We had some good times back then, didn't we?" They gazed into each other's eyes as the smiles left their faces and the world turned serious.

"You were always there for me, Diego."

"And I always will be." His mouth closed the difference between them and they were lost in each other's embrace. Some of the hunger for each other that had been denied for so long was temporarily sated.

Before long, it was Diego that pulled away and reined in their passion.

"Victoria ….you're not…._promised_ …to anyone, are you?" Was that the right question to be asking? He wasn't sure of anything just now.

"Well, not _exactly,_" she answered him, as she thought, "only to your other self!" How was this ever going to work out the right way? One of us has to go first and tell the other. But should she be the one?

"Not exactly?" He searched her eyes. "I'm not sure I should be encouraged by that answer." He looked down as he stroked her hand. "Victoria, we need to be totally honest with each other right now. You know, more than anyone else, that I …have …well…_lost_ some memories. And some of those lost memories are very important ones. They're important to both of us. You are the keeper of those memories. Please. Tell me about _him_."

"But Diego, you _are_ him." She cupped her hands around his face. She could see his alarm. "I thought you had remembered that much. You came to me as Zorro last night."

"So… you knew… that I…" He was trying to work it all out in his mind.

"Yes. I've only known since that day of the shootings. I only wonder that I didn't guess before. I'm just so afraid of saying the wrong thing to you. I think I'm a little ashamed that I never figured it out before. You gave me clues and I never guessed. I was so busy pushing you—_Diego,_ away…keeping you from becoming more than a friend… that I never even….."

"Well, if I gave you clues. That means that part of me must have wanted you to know. This is exactly the kind of thing that I need you to tell me."

"Diego, you truly haven't remembered….? Just what is the very last thing you _do_ remember? Now it's your turn to be completely honest with me!"

"The last thing I remember…" he began, as he reclined back against the tree trunk and stared up at the clouds, "is arriving from Madrid five years ago. I have had some flashes of memories….almost like dreams… about a lot of things… but nothing as real as the memories of stealing those apples!" They both laughed. "I figured out quite a bit from those shadowy memories and from listening and watching. Oh, and I stole a book from the alcalde's office that told me of my 'crimes'. And it was surprisingly easy, too!" He chuckled. "I guess, once a Zorro, always a Zorro!"

"Definitely!" She leaned over and planted a long passionate kiss on his lips.

When they finally broke for air, he asked, "Victoria, last night, you said something about a ring. Zorro gave it to you? What was the promise that went with that ring?"

"You promised that when you took off the mask, you would declare your love for me and we would be together forever!"

"Well…would you be terribly upset… if Zorro keeps his mask…Diego declares his love for you…and you and I are together forever and ever?"

"Oh, Diego!" She gave him her answer with her lips but not with words.

"You know there is a risk that you will be taking, and I can't believe I am asking it of you. But if I continue as Zorro, and if I am ever caught—"

"I know, I know…but it is a risk well worth taking. Until justice reigns in Los Angeles, Zorro is needed. But," she continued on a more personal level, "what about the ring? Does this mean I can actually wear it in public now?"

"Yes, Querida, you may wear it openly now. Is it the emerald ring of my mother's?"

She winced. "Yes, and it doesn't exactly excite me to know you can't even remember the glorious day you gave it to me!" She jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.

"Ouch! Then tell me about it. And don't leave anything out."

They talked until the sun was low on the horizon. Victoria playfully gave Diego some "Zorro" lessons. She coached him on his own mannerisms, speech patterns and inflections. She told him the true stories behind his crimes and gave him a thorough account of the real crimes committed by the two alcaldes, De Soto and Ramon.

"Thankfully, I don't have to tell you how to use your saber!" she teased.

"No," he laughed, "I think I remember that part pretty well! At least my skills did not desert me as my memory did. I was amazed last night just how simple it was to break into the Alcalde's office, steal the book, and elude the lancers. It felt like I had been doing things like that all my life."

"So you have!" Her easy laughter was like a melodic shaft of sunshine flowing over him. "But when I think of all those times you showed up just a few minutes later as Diego—"

"I must have gotten the wardrobe change down to an art! But I marvel that I got away with it with you. How in the world could I have hidden my feelings from you all this time?"

"Well, maybe that part you didn't do so well. I've always known you cared for me. I guess I just held you at arm's length because I—"

"Because you considered me to be like a brother?" He leaned over her and kissed her firmly on the mouth. When they drew apart a few minutes later, her breathing was erratic.

"My brothers _never_ kissed me like that!"

Diego laughed, "Well, I should hope not!"

They laughed and kissed and even shed a tear or two. But when Victoria tried to stifle a yawn, Diego pulled her to her feet and prepared to go back to the pueblo.

Their perfect day together had to end, for tomorrow was another big day. Don Alejandro and Felipe were due back the next day and something had to be done about those bandidos.

He took her back to the tavern and even took the chance of following her to her room. There, she took out the ring. But this time, it, was _Diego_ who placed it on her finger.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 

Diego went to bed early that night, for Zorro had to ride very early in the morning.

It was about an hour before dawn when he moved through the shadows of the quartel that led to the jail holding the bandidos.

The prisoners as well as the guards were all asleep, and it didn't take long to examine the prisoners inside the cell. After listening to their breathing and raising a few eyelids, he lightly slapped one in the face. There was no reaction.

"These men aren't just asleep," thought Zorro, "they've been drugged! He looked around the cell and his eyes lit on a ceramic cup that had fallen from the grasp of one of the prisoners. Pocketing it, he left. He had seen all that he needed.

A few hours later, Tornado and his rider were waiting beside a tree on a slight rise of land with a clear view of the road to Santa Paulo. Zorro watched the coach pass and followed it at a reasonable distance until it came within a half mile of Los Angeles. Nothing untoward had happened, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.

He hurried home just in time to greet his father and Felipe.

"Diego, well, you do look much better than when we left! We have so much to tell you. We made some excellent deals. Felipe has a fine eye for a bargain! Anything _interesting_ happen while we were gone?" Don Alejandro had that mischievous little grin on his face.

"One or two things you might be interested in, I suppose. But they can wait. Juan has just come in with some good news. That new mare of yours just foaled. It's a bit early, isn't it? You might want to—"

But his father was already out of the house and on his way to the stables. "I thought that would give us a few moments alone!" Diego turned to Felipe. The two smiled at each other. "Yes, Felipe, you can relax. I have remembered quite a bit and learned even more. I hope you haven't been too worried while you've been away."

Felipe pointed toward the fireplace.

"Yes, I've taken good care of Tornado. Come, I want to show you something." He turned and Felipe followed across the room.

Once inside the cave, Diego started telling his confidant all that he had missed in his absence.

"The cup I picked up in the jail cell had just enough residue left for me to do a little experimenting.

Felipe signed a question.

"No, I haven't actually identified the compound yet. But I can tell you it is a powerful mind altering concoction. I suspect it has more than one ingredient. And one of those appears to be Jimsonweed, the herb that has been known to cause men to go berserk. It is quite dangerous and can be poisonous. Those bandidos were under its influence and were still being given doses of it as late as last night. It probably has a soporific effect the longer it is taken."

He noted Felipe's question. "A soporific is a substance that induces a sleep state. But in smaller quantities, my guess is that it somehow allows some type of mind control on its victims. The question is, whose control are they under?"

Felipe made his sign for De Soto.

"The Alcalde? A distinct possibility. And there may be a connection to the assignment of the new lancers to the quartel. It has all happened very quickly." Felipe was a good sounding board for his thoughts. "Suppose the Alcalde has made a deal with some middleman with the governor's office. He collects this exorbitant new tax from the people of Los Angeles in exchange for forty lancers."

Felipe signed, "Forty…a test?"

"Very good, Felipe! Who taught you that? Oh, I did. Yes, biblically, the number forty has always been associated with a supreme test. Although I think whoever is behind all this has less than altruistic intentions and probably just chose a nice round number. I am sure Los Angeles will not be getting any additional lancers. I think the attack on the pueblo was a test for just how well this evil concoction would perform! The promise of an addition to the Alcalde's quartel was just a bribe to him to allow them to experiment. It was odd that not one soldier was present in the square that day and it did take the soldiers some time to arrive. Throw in the fact that not one of the bandidos was even injured very badly—"

Felipe pointed to Diego

"Touché! Except by me, that is…or killed outright, and the whole episode sounds very suspicious indeed".

Felipe made the sign of a "Z".

"Yes, Zorro will be there when the prisoner transfer is made to just see how far up this thing goes, and to find out a little more about this," he said as he held up the test tube containing the sample.

Felipe pointed to the vials of liquid in the distillation apparatus. "More?" he signed.

"No, that is something else I have been working on since you have been away. It is an experiment currently being done by a Frenchman named Leroux. He has isolated an ingredient from the bark of a Willow tree that he calls Salicin. His theory is that this Salicin is the reason that various cultures around the world have chewed on the bark as a means to achieve pain relief. I had the idea that it might be a help with these headaches of mine."

Felipe shot him a look of concern. "No, not now, but they do come and go. At any rate, this substance does look very promising. It is even said to reduce fever and that is something we really need for mankind. Just think of the possibilities! But, personally, I would prefer it in a more palatable form than tree bark!"

Felipe laughed silently and Diego changed the subject. "Felipe, I think it's time to tell Father about all this."

Felipe shook his head from side to side and Diego continued, "I know, it has always been our secret. That's made it something special between us, hasn't it? But, there are going to be some changes soon, and I think it is a good time to do away with all the secrets in this hacienda." He watched Felipe's face carefully as he continued. "I am going to marry Victoria… as Diego. Are you all right with that?"

Felipe shrugged and finally smiled sheepishly. "Good, because it is very important to me that you approve." He slapped Felipe lightly on the back. "I know Father will. And Victoria already knows about Zorro. You know she can be trusted. She and Father will both be a great help to Zorro, I am sure. It will just take some getting used to, that's all. Now, we had better get back out there. I don't have the time to tell Father right now. I am going to plead a headache and go to bed in just a little while. I want to catch up to the detail of lancers that is making the transfer this afternoon. Now that you're home, you can keep Father out of my hair for just a little bit longer!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

It was dusk when the soldiers from the quartel met up with the regimental guards that were to receive the prisoners. The time of day was a little unusual for conducting such business, but it was what the official orders had warranted.

The transfer was done quickly. Mendoza and his men were very anxious to rid themselves of the charge of these particular prisoners. He heaved a sigh of relief as he turned the company around and ordered his men to make for Los Angeles "Muy Pronto!" He couldn't wait to add some miles between him and these zombie-like creatures he had been guarding for so long. The blank expressions of those men made his skin crawl. He would be glad to go back to chasing after outlaws like Zorro after this!

Zorro watched from his vantage point until Mendoza and his men were well out of sight before moving in closer to be able to hear any conversation. It appeared the guards were stopping to set up camp right here.

One soldier gathered firewood while another unloaded supplies. The prisoners, wrists tied securely, were hauled off their horses rather roughly and herded over to an enclosure of rocks. Zorro circled around from the opposite direction and crept quietly up to the other side of the rocks sheltering the camp. He could hear everything perfectly.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Start giving it to them!" one soldier shouted.

"It has to be heated first! It will take some time." The man who was making some sort of preparations near the fire sounded strangely 'un-soldierlike'! He sounded scared to death. "It will do no good to give it to them now." The man also sounded quite a bit older than the others.

"Just hurry! The boss will be here in a few minutes. He will expect his men to be back to normal!"

Zorro listened to the sounds of the camp with interest. There was plenty of grumbling, a good deal of cursing and what sounded like a free-for-all fight among the men. They were obviously getting very drunk and they were, even more obviously, definitely _not _soldiers!

Soon the sounds of horses' hooves brought many of the men to their feet. The "boss" had arrived. He gave his orders imperiously and the men obeyed even in their drunken state. They feared this man. The drug, or rather antidote, was administered to the prisoners, and slowly, each one began to come out of the stupor. Zorro kept a keen eye on his escape route through the trees, should flight become necessary. This place was beginning to get just a bit crowded.

But he wanted to stay until he was sure of the "boss's" identity. Did he recognize the voice, or was his mind playing tricks on him again with half-remembered dreams? Yes, this voice was somehow familiar.

He crept along the back of the rock and positioned himself for a better view. But what he saw, he was not prepared for at all!

Before him stood — No, it couldn't be! The man was dead! Memories began blasting into his brain with the force of a pistol shot! It was Luiz Ramon! But the picture in his mind was mirroring this man falling from a tower at Devil's Fortress! Falling to his death!

All at once, Zorro realized he had moved out into the open in his astonishment at the man's presence. He quickly returned to the shadows. His thoughts were in chaos. Pictures of people, places and events were pulsing through his brain. He heard the sound of his own labored breathing and sought at once to control it. He couldn't afford to give his position away. There were too many of them and he was in no mental state to handle this right now. His head had begun to ache and his hands were shaking.

Luiz Ramon! What was this overwhelming feeling that he was associating with the man? Guilt? Yes, that was it! Guilt! He was partly responsible for the man's death. It had haunted him for years. Ramon had died that day because he chose to grab for Zorro's mask instead of Zorro's helping hand. The shock of seeing Don Diego's face staring back at him had caused him to lose his footing and fall to his death. Now it was the shock of seeing Ramon's face that was causing this flood of memories to engulf him. This was impossible!

Yet, there he was. No, wait! Ramon had a brother…a twin brother. Vincente! Yes, that was it. This was Vincente Ramon. Zorro heaved a sigh of relief. Thoughts and memories began settling into place. This man was truly evil in his own right and could be a very big threat to Los Angeles, but he was not a dead man returned to life.

Willing his body and mind into a state of calm, Zorro began working out the explanation to what he had just witnessed. These "soldiers" were obviously the missing bandidos, except for the frightened one. "He sounds like he is being held here by force," thought Zorro. "So, it follows, he is the one who is behind the mind-controlling concoction. This is good, for it means that they don't know everything about it yet. He is here to handle this mysterious drug."

For the next half-hour, Zorro listened to the men argue, complain and plan. He paid careful attention to every word of Ramon. The men were to rendezvous the next day, just before sundown, outside the gates of the pueblo. There was to be one more raid on the square, but this time, there would be no soldiers to worry about.

"But what about that man, the one who caused us so much trouble?" one of the men groused.

"De la Vega?" Ramon spat out the name. "Surely, you jest. That bookworm! From what I gather, he threw a couple of lucky punches and you all act like he did something heroic! If Don Diego de le Vega can put a scare into you people, then I have hired the wrong men for this job! Do I make myself clear? Besides, there's only one man in Los Angeles to worry about. Zorro! And if Señor Stanton does his part of the job correctly, we will eliminate that threat once and for all."

Ramon began pacing back and forth in front of the fire as he talked to the men. "Tomorrow, at noon, most of you will be waiting for the soldiers when they ride out to capture Zorro in the hills. You know what to do. The graves for the men have already been dug, I understand?"

The men were beginning to grumble louder. "So, half of your work is already done. What are you complaining about? You will be paid well at the end of it all." His tone silenced most of the men, but a few still, had questions.

"And what about this Zorro? Who is going to take care of him?"

"Zorro is mine! Señor Stanton and I will be having our own little 'private meeting' with him. Señor, you do have that mixture all prepared for our special guest, don't you?"

A weak "Yes" could barely be heard through the rumble of low voices.

"Good, then we have only to entice the fox into our trap. That Escalante woman should do nicely. It's well known that Zorro has some feeling for her. He will come to her aid and Zorro will be no more!" Zorro didn't have to see his face to know that he was smiling.

A strong voice from just the other side of the rock asked "This sounds just fine if all goes according to plan, but what happens afterwards? We get rid of the soldiers, the Alcalde, and this Zorro. But what then? We are still wanted men. The money you offer will only get us so far. You said—"

"I said," Ramon raised his voice, "that I would take care of you all. When my plan is complete, I will be in charge of not only Los Angeles, but the entire southern half of Alta California. I drew up the plans myself! And I saw them signed by the governor's own hand. You forget, this miraculous little liquid can be so, shall we say, influential! Los Angeles will need a whole garrison of soldiers to replace those unfortunate lancers that were killed by that outlaw, Zorro. You men will become that garrison! And Zorro, though he shall remain at large just in case we have need of his services, will be under my control! We will all have a free reign of this district and I will be the governor's specially appointed Lieutenant Governor. Soon, we will even get rid of the governor himself, and then I will be the supreme law of this land!"

Zorro had heard quite enough. He quickly, but silently, circled around the camp and back to a waiting Tornado. He had his own traps to set!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 

Sergeant Mendoza was just about to blow out his candle and sink into his nice warm bed when a noise from the window made him turn.

"Zorro!" He choked out the name with a mixture of surprise and fear.

"Sergeant!" Zorro saluted with his drawn sword. He was seated, framed by the window, with one foot propped on the windowsill, the other dangling free, almost reaching the floor. "I need your help," he said simply.

"_My_ help? … Of course, Señor Zorro, I am always glad…." The sergeant's thoughts jumped around very quickly when Zorro was present. "Zorro…you are inside the quartel….this is the soldiers' barracks!"

"Yes, I know."

"You just can't come in —"

"Sergeant, since I am already here, and I could just as well be holding this blade to your throat, I think the wisest thing for you to do would be to listen to what I have to say."

"Si, Señor Zorro." Mendoza sat down meekly on the bed.

"I want to tell you what kind of a day you are going to have tomorrow." Zorro smiled.

Felipe was waiting for Zorro in the cave. He tried not to show the relief he felt when Tornado and his rider came through the entrance.

With the quick movements of a well-practiced ritual, Diego whisked off the black outfit and was soon truly Diego once more.

"Felipe! I have remembered!" His excitement was contagious.

Felipe began a flurry of signs.

"Yes, most everything! It is quite a jumble up here," he pointed to his temple, "but it was as if a floodgate opened up all at once." Felipe came closer and impulsively gave him a hug. "Thank you. I know how much you have been worried."

Felipe drew away from him and began signing.

"What triggered it? That's the part you won't believe! Remember Luiz Ramon's brother? I saw him tonight! He is the one behind all this. And De Soto is in it up to his eyeballs, as well. We have plenty of work to do. Is Father in bed? Good. I don't think I could deal with telling him tonight anyway. But, you had better go answer the door."

Felipe looked doubtfully at his friend. The doorbell hadn't rung. It was well past the time for visitors anyway. But just as he was beginning to doubt Diego's sanity, he heard the bell ring.

Diego smiled. "Go on. It is Victoria. She came in the wagon. Zorro gave her a safe escort to the door!"

Once Victoria was safely settled in one of the extra bedrooms for the night, and after making sure everything was all locked up securely, Diego returned to the cave.

Felipe would spend the night on guard, pistols in hand, just in case Victoria had been seen coming to the hacienda. Diego was taking no chances with his lady. He packed the bottles of liquids he would need in his saddlebags and guided his great, black steed back out into the night.

He left Tornado some way away from the camp and stole quietly back to his hiding place behind the huge rock.

The men were all in various stages of sleep. A drunken sleep! The panther-like figure of Zorro slipped from one sleeping man to the next dispensing his potions. He gave each man a good whiff of ether and each man's gun powder a generous helping of glycerin. The ether would buy him time. The glycerin would buy some degree of safety. These guns would be fairly useless.

He paused over the sleeping form of Ramon and fought an impulse to haul him off to Mendoza's jail cell right now. But he had no proof yet against any of these men, and unfortunately the word of Zorro didn't carry much weight with the Alcalde. Patience. One of the more difficult virtues!

When he came to Señor Stanton, he carefully placed his fingers to the man's temples and pressed lightly. The man's eyes flew open. He had not been offered any of the free flowing liquor that night. He trembled in fear upon seeing the masked man staring down at him. Zorro put a finger to his lips and offered a gloved hand to the man. He looked around quickly and, seeing that he alone was awake, he let this masked stranger help him to his feet. Without a word, he followed Zorro from the camp. Zorro would have loved to see Ramon's face when he woke and saw that Señor Stanton had "escaped" right from under his nose.

When they reached Tornado, Señor Stanton hesitated. "Am I being kidnapped?" he whispered nervously.

"Yes," Zorro whispered back, and indicated the stirrup. "Mount up."

He clumsily climbed up on to the horse. He didn't know which was scarier, the masked man or the black horse. Both were so big! Zorro swung himself up into the saddle behind the Señor in one smooth move, and quietly eased Tornado back to the road.

When they were far enough from the camp, Zorro began asking his questions. "Señor Stanton, just what am I to do with you? I take it you are responsible for this monstrous concoction that makes people behave so strangely?"

"Yes, this is all my fault!" The man seemed about to cry.

"In that case, I think you should help set things right, don't you?"

"Yes, yes, I will. I will do anything you say. Just don't hurt me!"

"Relax. I have no intention of hurting you. Will you calm yourself! Tornado doesn't like whining."

The man straightened immediately. "What do you want me to do?"

"I am going to take you to a place where you are going to divulge to me everything you know about this heinous "discovery" of yours. But first, I am going to blindfold you. The place where I take you is a secret. You would be in danger if you were to know the way."

Once inside the cave, Zorro removed the blindfold. The Señor was amazed at what he saw. A new respect for this masked outlaw grew in the Señor. He walked over to the laboratory area and said. "This is all yours? You are a scientist?"

"Not really. I just dabble."

Zorro removed his hat and gave the man paper and pen. "Now, Señor Stanton, you will write down all you know about the drug and its antidote. And once you have done so, you will forget everything you have written. Be precise and complete. I wouldn't think about fooling me, if I were you. I can have a nasty temper when I'm crossed."

Zorro poured his guest and himself some juice. He then made himself comfortable in the chair while he waited on the Señor to finish his writings.

Once the man had completed his task, Zorro took the papers from him and scanned them lightly. "Very good, Señor, you can rest assured that I will keep this in a safe place. And now that you have purged your mind of this," he held up the paper, "I must exact the promise from you that you will never do any research into this type of medicine ever again. For if you do, do you know what I will do to you?" Zorro asked the question with a broad smile.

The man shivered visibly.

"Yes, I believe you do." Zorro picked up his hat from the table and said, "Señor, I believe it is time for you to leave us," as he gave an elegant wave toward Tornado.

In a few minutes, the two were once again riding out into the black night, Señor Stanton blindfolded yet again. This time, Tornado stopped at a stream just outside of the pueblo. When Zorro removed the blindfold, he saw another horse, saddled and ready, before him.

"Señor, I suggest you go somewhere North or East. Just do not let me hear of you near this pueblo ever again. Is that clear? A little knowledge in the wrong hands can be very dangerous. I think you have discovered that. You were almost responsible for the death of many good men today. You should have the deaths of five people on your conscience already. No amount of regret on your part is going to bring them back. One of those five was a mere girl of fifteen with her life ahead of her. I want you to think about her, the next time you are tempted to share a discovery of some dangerous formula. Her name was Marisa."

Zorro mounted his horse.

"You have a true gift, Señor. It is up to you to use it wisely." Within moments, Zorro was gone into the night.

Diego caught Felipe dozing in the chair just outside Victoria's room. He woke the boy and sent him off to his own bed.

Throwing caution to that proverbial wind, he slowly turned the knob and let himself into the room. He could hear her soft, rhythmic breathing from where he stood. He sank into the chair beside the bed to watch over his lovely guest until morning. After awhile, he closed his eyes, confident in his own reflexes to react to any emergency that should arise.

When Victoria opened her eyes to see Diego asleep in the chair beside her bed, she wasn't the least bit surprised. What a man this was! This combination of gentle, kind, sweet Diego and strong, brave, capable Zorro. And both were hers. She was a lucky woman indeed!

"Diego?" With the one word, his eyes flew open and he smiled at her.

"Good morning, Bella." He stood and bent down to place a quick kiss on her lips. "I had better get back to my own room before the house awakens." His eyes couldn't help but drop lower than they should have. But almost immediately, he shook his head, blushed and quickly left the room.

Victoria had to stuff the corner of the sheet in her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

The next morning, Victoria prepared herself to be kidnapped.

She had her girls do all the serving and kept herself busy in the kitchen. Knowing that Zorro was hidden just behind the cupboard gave her some sense of ease, but it was still unnerving knowing someone would be bursting through the door any moment now to abduct you! She was almost beginning to think that the plan must have been changed when there was a knock at the back door.

She opened the door to a man with the lower half of his face covered with a bandana. He held a pistol to her throat and reached one arm through the door to grab her.

In one swift move, Zorro plucked the pistol from his hand, pulled the man into the room and knocked him out with one punch. Not one person beyond the curtain ever heard a sound.

Zorro bent over the unconscious man and quickly began removing his clothing. Before long, Zorro stood before Victoria in the clothes of the kidnapper.

"If we meet a tailor along the way, I shall die of embarrassment!" Zorro said as he rolled his eyes. The kidnapper was not nearly as tall as Zorro and the fit left a lot to be desired. But it would have to do. They tied up and gagged the man securely and left him in the storage room off the kitchen.

"Are you ready, mi preciosa?"

She nodded.

They went out the door as kidnapper and victim. Zorro held the now empty gun to his love's throat and pushed her up into the back of the wagon that waited outside.

The lookout posted by the corner of the building signaled that all was clear, ran up and jumped up onto the wagon seat, drove around the corner and into the street. Once they had a straight shot to the gates, the driver gave a yell to draw everyone's attention. He whipped the horses, urging them to their greatest speed as they raced out through the gates. Before long, surely Zorro would know his special lady had been kidnapped.

The ride was rough, but the toughest part for Victoria was trying not to smile whenever she looked at her "kidnapper." Twice, when she glanced over at the disguised Zorro and her lips began to turn up at the corners, he shoved the barrel of the gun a little closer to her face. It wasn't fair! She knew he was probably grinning from ear to ear beneath that bandana!

When they reached their destination, Zorro made a show of dragging her from the wagon rather roughly, while in reality holding her as gently as ever.

There were only two men to greet them. A big, burley man waited just behind Ramon. "Now why didn't you send that guy to do the kidnapping? His clothes I could wear!" thought Zorro.

Zorro noted that Ramon wore his sword, and the big man had two pistols in his belt. Hopefully, they were two of the ones he had "doctored" last night. But one couldn't be sure. He didn't remember seeing this man last night; he could be a late arrival. The driver of the wagon went to tie the horses.

Ramon's eyes were centered on Victoria. "Señorita Escalante! Welcome! I hope your journey was not too unpleasant." He certainly had the same flair as his brother.

"Vincente Ramon!" she cried with feigned surprise. "What is the meaning of this? What do you want?" She knew her part well.

"Why, Señorita, why does anyone ever kidnap you? To get to Zorro, of course! We expect him shortly. This shouldn't take too long. Make yourself at home."

He turned to his men. "Get ready! I want him taken alive, but if you have to, kill him. Either way, he will be mine!" He turned back to the fire where a small kettle had been set on a rack dangling above the flames. "It looks just about right. Curse that man for getting away just when I need him the most!"

Zorro was inwardly gauging his next move when Ramon suddenly straightened and moved toward Victoria. He held a small vial in one hand. "Here, my dear, have a drink. It's very refreshing." The cruel look in Ramon's eyes as he approached Victoria was enough for Zorro. He leapt forward and snatched the sword from Ramon's scabbard with his right hand and dashed the vial of liquid from Ramon's hand with his left. Ramon stepped back in utter astonishment.

"What the devil are you —"

Ramon's words were cut short as he was knocked to the ground with a kick to his chest. The big man was pulling his pistols as Zorro reached him, but the pistols went flying when the hilt of the sword crashed into the man's Adam's apple. He joined Ramon on the ground.

"I think you have more dealings with the devil than I." Zorro said, as he held the blade at Ramon's throat." Victoria, tie them up, please. Start with the big one."

"Zorro!" Ramon gasped as realization dawned on him.

"Yes, not exactly my usual style of mask today, but it did serve its purpose.

"What are you going to do?"

"I take it you mean what am I going to do with _you_?" Sometimes this sort of work was so predictable. Ramon was telegraphing with every muscle in his body that the wagon driver was coming up behind him. "Well, to begin with, I am going to take away your hope that this man will save you!" Zorro swiftly stepped to his right two feet, and the blow the driver was about to deliver carried him 4 feet forward and he fell against some rocks, knocking himself out cold. "And secondly, I think a nice bumpy ride in the back of this wagon all the way to Mendoza's jail will just about make your day."

"You think you're so smart! Mendoza and his men are dead by now. You think this was the whole of my plan!" Ramon could sneer just as wickedly his brother.

"I think," Zorro warned ominously, as he brought the tip of the blade in closer to Ramon's jugular, "that you shouldn't assume I can control my temper!" With a quick twist of his wrist, Zorro nicked Ramon just under the chin with the blade. Ramon's hand flew to his throat and he panicked as he saw the red blood.

"Madre de Dios, I'm cut! Help me, I'm cut!" As Ramon railed like a baby, Zorro winked at Victoria and began shoving him over to the wagon.

They had all three men tied up and gagged before too long and were on their way back to town. Once through the gates, Zorro turned the wagon towards the street behind the tavern. He wanted to don his own clothes before showing up before the lancers with his prisoners.

Mendoza was all smiles as he greeted Zorro outside the quartel. "Zorro, everything worked just like you said. I now have 14 men in my jail! Not one of their pistols would fire at us! It was the easiest time capturing criminals we have ever had!"

"That's wonderful, Sergeant. I hope you have room enough for three more! There is one prisoner here you might want to put an extra guard on tonight." He pulled Ramon from the wagon.

"Zorro, it's —" Mendoza looked ready to faint.

"Sergeant, I give you Vincente Ramon, brother to our late Alcalde! Guard him well. You will be receiving a detailed explanation of his crimes in the next few days. The proof you need will be coming from the governor." Zorro leaned close and whispered "And the Alcalde, Sergeant?"

"He had to take a sudden trip out of town." Mendoza whispered back. "He received a letter that required his urgent attention." Mendoza winked at Zorro. "You know, Zorro, I'll just bet the Alcalde will be bringing that proof himself!"

Zorro's opinion of the good Sergeant shot upward. The man was smarter than everyone gave him credit to have figured out that one. Perhaps he would receive a promotion from all this. The missive that De Soto had carried to the governor would certainly call attention to the way Mendoza had handled his men in this crisis.

"Sergeant! Señorita!" Zorro saluted and Tornado galloped off toward the pueblo gates.

"He sure is something, isn't he?" Mendoza exclaimed to Señorita Escalante who was standing beside him.

"He sure is. I will miss him!"

"Miss him?" Mendoza was puzzled. "Is he going somewhere?"

"No, haven't you heard, Sergeant Mendoza? Zorro and I have had, well, a parting of the ways."

Mendoza looked shocked. The soldiers had been so cut off from the people lately, this was news to him.

"But I thought you and Zorro —"

"Zorro is a wonderful man, but I have wasted far too much of my life waiting for him. He may be needed to fight for justice for a very long time. And almost losing Diego has shown me how much I cared for him all along. Diego has asked me to marry him, Sergeant, and I have said 'yes'." Her eyes were twinkling as she planted the first seeds of gossip for the town. Mendoza would spread the word, and before too long, the people of Los Angeles would accept the change in her affections and hopefully understand them.

"But this is wonderful, Señorita! Diego is a good man. A fine caballero! I always thought he was a little sweet on you," Mendoza teased. "And Zorro, well, we all know how hard it is to pin him down for very long!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 

Darkness fell and a glowing orange ball of a moon rose from the horizon as Zorro was making his way back to the hacienda. No soldiers were following, so he felt he could take the short route home tonight.

All the way there, he went over in his mind the various scenarios of revealing his secret life to his father. He had thought of telling him and had been on the very verge of doing so many times in the past. Now, when he was fully prepared to go through with it, he hesitated as to just how to do it. He was still debating the issue in his mind when he rode Tornado through the hidden opening in the rocks.

"Felipe, where's Father? Good. What? Oh, yes, everything went just fine, all according to plan. I am afraid those taxes may just be necessary because the jail is bursting at the seams with prisoners."

He watched as Felipe signed his question. "Yes, Felipe. I think it's time. I am going to tell him."

Felipe held out a hand to take the hat and cape, but the man brushed right past him.

With a serious look on his face, Zorro entered the hacienda through the secret passage. t wasn't often he did so dressed this way. Avoiding the eyes of any servants, he made his way to his father's room.

It was only a few minutes before his father entered the room, although Zorro felt like hours had passed. Don Alejandro had entered the room purposely to retrieve a book from his nightstand. When he turned to see Zorro elegantly seated, no, draped, on his windowsill, he was startled, but he recovered almost immediately.

"Zorro! This is most unexpected. To what do I owe the honor of a visit from you?"

"Don Alejandro." Zorro gave a small bow. "I come with a piece of news for you. In a few days, Ignacio De Soto will return from the Governor's office carrying a decree that will spell his own future doom as Alcalde of Los Angeles. If I am correct in my assessment of the situation, I believe that you will soon be appointed to the position."

"Me? The Alcalde!" Don Alejandro was at once both surprised and flattered. "And on what do you base your assessment? I have heard nothing concerning this."

"I have had some contact with the Governor. As we speak, he is only a few hours journey north of here. He has just been apprised of a plot against him and the people of California that involved De Soto. I do not think he will look kindly on the man after this. You have been appointed temporary Alcalde once before and you governed well and wisely. It was noted. I see you as the only choice for his replacement."

"Thank you. If this comes to pass, I assure you I will do my best to serve the people." Zorro sat there quietly, but Alejandro could feel there was something else on his mind. "Zorro," he laughed, "you aren't going to try to bribe me into giving you a pardon, are you?"

Zorro gave him a wry smile. "No. I don't think it will be necessary. If you govern as fairly as I think…no…I _know_ you will, there will be little need for my services." He turned away, took a deep breath and turned back to face Alejandro. "I have something to tell you, or rather, to show you." And with that, Zorro reached behind his neck, untied the cloth ends and let the mask fall.

Don Alejandro sank slowly onto the side of the bed. "Diego." His voice creaked with emotion. "So you tell me, at last."

"You're not surprised?" It was Diego's eyes that grew wider.

"No, Son, I've known for some time. I knew you'd tell me when you felt the time was right. My son!" Alejandro got up, crossed to his son and embraced him roughly. "I have so much to say to you. Forgive me for ever—"

"Forgive you! Father, I am the one who deceived you. I have suffered more guilt about this than you could ever guess. I think you raised me well. For I have agonized much over every act of dishonesty and deception that I have had to perform! But I had to protect you from the consequences of my actions. There was no other way. I only hope you understand and forgive me."

For the next hour, the two reminisced, remembering the excuses and working out the reasons for all those puzzling times Zorro had had to deceive his own father. It was a time for laughter and all those hurtful words that had been said in the past could now be remembered without any pain.

They eventually joined Felipe in the cave. Alejandro was amazed to discover such a place just under his very nose. This, he had never suspected. He had grown up with the knowledge that the hacienda had secret passageways but had never had the inclination to find them. It would seem his son was much more inquisitive about such things than he had ever been.

"I begin to see the explanations of a great many mysteries around this house! For all your 'laziness', I was always constantly amazed at how you could so suddenly appear out of thin air after calling for you. I couldn't imagine you moving so quickly. And the occasional emanations of all sorts of strange odors about the library… from this chemistry lab here, I assume?"

"Yes, Father."

"What's this you're working on here? Smells like vinegar!"

"Oh, that's a headache remedy that I wanted to check out. It looks most promising. There are already a couple of scientists looking into its possibilities." When Diego saw the look of real interest in his father's eyes, it was hard not to let his enthusiasm show. "Father, this substance has been said to reduce fevers as well. Can you imagine the implications of that! No longer would an insignificant wound be so potentially deadly when fever occurs. Of course, it wouldn't actually fight the infection. I'm afraid that sort of discovery is not on the horizon. But being able to treat fevers! That would be a great advance for medicine!

Don Alejandro smiled broadly. This animated Diego was so different. It was going to take some getting used to this side of his son.

All the secrets were revealed that night. Alejandro learned that Felipe could hear. What joy that news brought! After the first initial feeling of bewilderment and hurt that such an important fact could be kept from him in his own house, he finally acquiesced that it had been the intelligent thing to do. It appeared the boy had been invaluable as the eyes and ears of Zorro. People so often did treat the deaf and mute as unintelligent, so Felipe could go unnoticed in so many situations.

"Felipe has been working on speaking, Father. In time, I feel even that will come." Diego's eyes warned his father of the need for patience in this area. Ruffling Felipe's hair to lighten the mood, he continued, "One thing's for sure, Zorro could not have existed without Felipe's help."

Don Alejandro also learned of the plans of his son to marry Señorita Escalante. Soon, there would be a different feel to this household of men. A woman's touch had been sorely missed in the de la Vega household for long enough. And the prospect of grandchildren was finally a reality! Yes, Alejandro could not be happier.

The trio talked for hours, Alejandro asking question after question. He wanted to know everything. But soon, he noticed that Diego was about to fall asleep in his chair. Well, it stood to reason. He had gotten very little sleep in the past few days, only an hour or two stolen here and there. What he needed was a good night's rest.

"Come on, you two, off to bed with you both! Any more talk can wait till tomorrow."

That night, Diego slept the dreamless sleep of a mind finally at rest. The worries of the past few weeks finally abated, his slumber was undisturbed and he slept until well into the afternoon.

By the time Diego and his father made it into town to have supper at the tavern, Victoria had already had quite a full day. Her business was good. When she looked up and saw the two coming through her door, she turned all her duties over to Tina and gave her sole attention to the de la Vega men.

"Victoria!" Don Alejandro gave her a huge bear hug. "Diego tells me I shall have a new daughter soon. I tell you, I could not be more pleased!"

"Thank you, Don Alejandro. I will be much blessed in my new family too." Diego had greeted her with a bow and a kiss of her hand that had brought the color to her cheeks. It was going to be some time before she could be comfortable with Zorro-like gestures from Diego (at least in public).

She led them to a table in the back that would allow some degree of privacy. All three were unaware of the complete attention they gathered as they walked through the room. The people of the town knew their roles. If Zorro was to be able to continue, he had to feel comfortable that his secret was still safe. So the expressions on the faces of the people as they passed were well under control. Some greeted the two men with a wave or a nod as would be expected. Some ignored them and passed almost imperceptible looks back and forth.

"And what do we have on the menu for today? I think I have never been hungrier!" Don Alejandro proclaimed.

"I have some stew that will fill you up quite nicely."

"Wonderful! And, you will be joining us?"

"Yes, I would love to, but Diego, there's something in the kitchen I wanted to show you. Do you mind, Don Alejandro?"

"Take him, Take him!" His eyes were twinkling. "But you know, Victoria, soon you will have to get used to calling me 'Father'."

She practically pushed Diego through the curtains and into the kitchen.

"What is it —"

"Oh, just this." She threw her arms around his neck and forced his head down low enough to give him a nice, long kiss. "I've waited all day for that!"

"What an appetizer!" Diego laughed. "I can't wait for the first course."

"And I can't wait for an explanation. Did you tell him?"

"Yes, I told him. And the old fox already knew! Can you believe it? I haven't been the only one keeping secrets. Maybe I haven't been as clever as I thought all this time." He still had his hands encircling her waist. "But, tell me, are the prisoners still safely in the jail?"

"Yes, the Alcalde has returned. He's still throwing his weight around like he hasn't a care in the world. Are you sure that he will be replaced?"

"Yes, I talked to the Governor himself, remember. I don't think he would lie to Zorro. I think he had already made up his mind on the matter before this all began anyway. He has the full backing of the King to make any decisions necessary. He assured me of this. And there was the fact that he was already on his way here."

"I wonder what convinced him."

"I think that the last letter Father sent to the King was the first one to actually reach him. All these years, someone has been intercepting them. I'm sure of it. I never could believe that our family's long association with the throne meant nothing. It was always strange that all our entreaties sent to Madrid were never answered with action. I know Spain is at war, but it never made sense that our only contacts with the mother country have been the occasional emissary sent to collect taxes or capture Zorro! Perhaps the court has finally gotten rid of a traitor from within. It would be interesting to learn the details, but we may never know."

"Well, I just can't wait for the governor to arrive. It is about time. I want all those men away from here as soon as possible. I have a wedding to plan! And I prefer you not to have any distractions." She kissed him again, but was interrupted by Tina coming in for more stew.

They drew apart, embarrassed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I—"

"It's quite all right, Tina. Do you need any help?"

"No, Señorita, I can manage." She quickly retrieved what she needed and went back through the curtains.

"Well, we had better make an announcement soon or your reputation is going to suffer." 

"I took care of that yesterday."

"You did? And may I ask just how you did that?

"I told Sergeant Mendoza!" She giggled.

Diego laughed. "That should do it. Come. Let's join Father. I am rather hungry myself and that stew smells delicious."

Throughout the meal, the plans were made. A trip to Monterrey was in order soon. The new Dona de la Vega had to be outfitted in style for her new position in the community. There was some protest from Victoria at the lavishness of the wardrobe Don Alejandro was describing, but she soon realized that the two men were going to enjoy this even more than she. The affluence of the noble de la Vegas was a little awe-inspiring for her. She had grown up, not in poverty, but certainly with the need to work for a living. She didn't know how she was going to fit in as the wife of a caballero.

"What do you want to do with the tavern, Victoria?" Don Alejandro asked.

"Do with it?" The question surprised her, but it probably shouldn't have.

"Victoria, my father thinks that you will give up running the tavern once we marry. I want you to know that the decision will be yours, totally. I want you to be happy. I will support you in whatever you decide."

"Thank you." She felt the tears brimming up behind her eyes. "I do like what I do. But I do want to be a good wife to you."

"Well, there's no reason the decision has to be made today, my dear. You just think on it for now. My own personal hope is that you won't have time for running it once the babies begin to arrive!" Don Alejandro just couldn't stay away from the subject of babies.

"Father, really!"

Both Don Alejandro and Victoria laughed out loud as they thought simultaneously that even though the words were spoken by Diego, somewhere inside of him, even Zorro was a prude.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The Governor arrived unexpectedly the next morning.

De Soto was groveling from the very beginning. It was plain the Governor was displeased. But why? He just didn't understand. All his plans had been good. If it hadn't been for Zorro, they would have succeeded too! Ohhhh.…. if he ever got his hands of that outlaw, he was going to pay! If he had only been here, it would be Zorro languishing in his jail instead of that passel of outlaws!

De Soto himself had even been put out of his own rooms in the quartel, since his were the only quarters that was the least bit suitable for the visiting dignitary. That, in itself, was galling! But there was no getting around it.

Before long, the Governor was issuing orders all around the quartel. Some involved big issues, some only small details. He seemed to be cleaning house! He had been in the quartel less than 24 hours before he called for De Soto to appear before him.

"Ah, yes, De Soto. I have something here I want you to sign. It is a simple matter, but one that requires immediate attention on your part. This paper states that you admit your involvement with that traitor Vincente Ramon and his scheme to take control of a good part of Alta California."

"Sir! What do you mean! I never —"

"Silencio, por favor! I have had quite enough from you. I have more than enough evidence to convince me of your guilt. Ramon drugged me with some kind of potion that affected my will and judgement. He convinced me to sign an edict awarding him control of one-half of California. I don't doubt that that was only a part of his plan for me. He also, with your help," the Governor pointed accusingly at De Soto, "arranged for those men occupying your jail to be drugged with that same potion. Maybe they received a larger dose than I did. But for some reason, those men raided this pueblo and five people died! You, De Soto, had some knowledge of this potion, because it was you that continued to drug those men even as they were imprisoned in your jail. Did it make them easier to control them? Did you have some further plans for them?"

"Sir, I…. Sir, it was Zorro. If it hadn't been for Zorro —"

"Enough! If it hadn't been for Zorro, I would be dead by now! Don't blame your deficiencies on him! Just what did Ramon promise you? That's what I want to know!" The fury in the Governor's voice told De Soto that it was useless to defend himself anymore.

"He promised me I would receive a commission as Emissary to the King and be allowed to return to Madrid." His slumped shoulders signaled the Alcalde's resignation.

"Well, you are going to get part of that wish." As De Soto's eyes alerted to the small chance of reprieve, the Governor issued the final blow. "You, sir, are going back to Madrid. But you will do so, in chains! Guards!"

Mendoza and two other lancers almost fell into the room. They had been listening at the door and could not believe their ears.

"Si, Your Excellency!"

"You will conduct," the Governor paused and stressed his next word, "Señor De Soto to his temporary quarters and place him under constant guard. He is to return to Madrid as a prisoner of the government of Spain. Three of the soldiers from my own detail will escort him to the ship at San Pedro. The prisoner should be prepared for departure from the quartel tomorrow at dawn. Is that clear?"

"Si, Your Excellency!"

Mendoza gave a small apologetic look to his former alcalde as he was led out of the room.

"Sergeant Mendoza, one moment, please, I'd like a word with you."

"Si, Your Excellency." Mendoza was nervous as the Governor rose and came around the desk to face him.

"Sergeant, it has been brought to my attention what a fair man you are. I don't think I could do better than appoint you as the Commandante of the quartel. I already have in mind someone for the position of Alcalde and I expect that the two of you will manage the affairs of the pueblo quite nicely." The Governor extended a hand to Mendoza, but the man stood there at attention. So he reached down and grabbed the man's hand and shook it. "Congratulations, Sergeant."

"Oh, thank you! Your Excellency. Thank you! I will do my best!" Mendoza was hoping he wouldn't faint!

"Good, good. Now, Commandante Mendoza, I have something I need you to do."

"Anything, Anything at all. I will…"

"I need you to somehow get a message to Zorro that I would like to have a word with him. Can you do that, Mendoza?"

"Well, I can put up some posters. That usually gets word to him about things. It might take some time. But you never know, he does seem to always keep an eye on happenings in the pueblo. Of course, I don't know how to reach him directly. No one does, Your Excellency."

"Yes, I understand. Just make it known that I would like to speak to him, under an "umbrella of truce", if you will. He needs to understand that he has no fear of being arrested if he comes to talk to me."

"Your Excellency, Zorro rarely has ever feared being arrested. I don't really think he knows what fear is!"

"Excellent point, my good man. Having met the man, I would agree. Well, put out the word. I cannot remain in Los Angeles for much longer. We have to get my business here completed within a few days.

That is all, Sergeant," the governor smiled, "I mean, Commandante."

Mendoza's shoulders went back at the word as he swelled with pride. He clicked his heels together, bowed ceremoniously, turned and left the room.

The Governor had only just sat back down at the desk when he heard a tremendously loud whooping squeal of delight from the other side of the door. He smiled and went back to his paperwork.

As usual, it didn't take long to get the word to Zorro. As soon as Mendoza shut the door of the quartel behind him, he broke like a shot across the plaza and into the tavern. When he saw the de la Vegas and Señorita Escalante, he made straight for them to share his news.

"Ah, Sergeant Mendoza, and how are you today, Sir?" Don Alejandro asked.

"Buenas Tardes Don Alejandro, Don Diego, Señorita! I have the most wonderful news! You will not believe it!"

"Sergeant, please, take a breath! What on earth has you this excited?" Don Diego was the very essence of calm.

"I have been promoted to Commandante! I am now in charge of the quartel!"

"Commandante!" Everyone began speaking at once, congratulating Mendoza on his good fortune. The people at the other tables even gathered round to join in and listen to the good news.

"And that's not all! Alcalde De Soto is no longer the Alcalde! He is under arrest and is to be sent to Spain for trial."

"Well, well, well. It seems the Governor is putting things to right at last. And did the Governor say if we will be getting a new alcalde soon?" Diego asked as his father gave him a sideways glance.

"He didn't say who it will be, but he did say that we will be getting a new alcalde." Mendoza bit his lip. "Oh, but I forgot! The Governor wants to have a talk with Zorro. He wants everyone to put out the word. He says that Zorro will not be in any danger from arrest. He just wants to talk to him, which means I have to be going. I have to put up some posters! Adios, everyone. Adios!"

"I don't think I've ever seen Mendoza so excited!" the Señorita exclaimed.

"He has good reason to be. That is quite a promotion he has received. I hope he's up to the task."

"Father, he is a good man and he is very capable of wise decisions. All the Sergeant has ever needed was confidence in himself. Without the Alcalde behind him, he may surprise us all."

As the other diners drifted away, amid a rumble of talk of all this latest news, Don Alejandro turned to his son with a low whisper. "And what of this meeting with the Governor? Do you think Zorro should take this chance?"

Diego smiled. "Surely, you don't think such a summons could be ignored! But Zorro will pick the time!"

At half past four in the morning, the shadows moved near the windows of the bedroom of the Governor. Zorro entered through the window and lit a single candle by the bedside before waking the sleeping man.

"I am here. You wished to talk to me?" he said quietly

"Zorro!" The Governor wiped the sleep from his eyes. "You do make some surprising entrances, young man!" He grabbed for his glasses on the night table and tried to assume an official presence, sitting up very straight in bed in his nightclothes. "First of all, Señor, I want to thank you for all your help in this whole matter. I know that I would be a dead man by now if it hadn't been for you."

"I couldn't let that happen, Sir"

"Did you get the formula?"

Zorro produced a folded page and handed it to the Governor. "I trust you will find a safe place for this. I am loath to destroy such knowledge, for one never knows when good can come out of something evil. This may someday have a potential, with some modification, for some useful purpose for mankind, even if it looks improbable now."

"Yes, I agree. It will be placed in a secure place. You can be sure of that. I, of all people, realize the dangerousness of this concoction."

The governor changed the subject. "Zorro, I have followed your advice. Mendoza has been placed in charge of the quartel. I will announce tomorrow the appointment of Don Alejandro de la Vega as the new Alcalde of Los Angeles. I think that, between the two of them, the future of this pueblo will be assured. But they will need help. Your help. There are two ways for you to do that."

"Two ways?"

"Yes, I am prepared to offer you complete amnesty. I know the people will approve. You can remove your mask and serve in your true identity. Or, if you prefer, you can continue to be Zorro."

"You would have no objection to the continuation of my 'outlaw' career!"

"No, in fact, I would prefer it. You see, as Zorro, you can do what no agent of the law can do. And as long as you display the same penchant for justice that I have seen, you will be an invaluable agent to keep the government of this area from ever falling back into the hands of the unworthy. Los Angeles is so remote, that is what it needs. I will remove the price from your head tomorrow, or rather, later on today. However, if you break a law in the future, you will start paying your fines. I have read an interesting volume today prepared by the past two alcaldes. It chronicled quite a few transgressions that were deserving of some hefty fines! But it also described how you brought in many bandidos to the jail. Those actions would deserve rewards. In fact," the Governor leveled a serious look at the masked man, "this is for you." He reached for a book on the bedside table, withdrew from it a large paper and handed it to the outlaw.

Zorro took it, glanced at it quickly, then looked up at the Governor's face in surprise. "This is a bill!" He laughed.

The Governor fought to keep his countenance stern. "Yes, and you will pay it to the pueblo's treasury as soon as possible. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sir. I will. All fourteen pesos! Are you sure that is enough?" Zorro asked with a grin.

"It will be quite sufficient. It is the true sum owed by you when taking all your vandalism of public property, reckless riding on the streets of the pueblo and various other crimes set against the rewards you should have received. I worked on that all afternoon." The Governor allowed himself a small smile. "I was relieved that the pueblo did not end up owing you money. But that "Z" of yours tipped the balance in our favor. Do you think you could work on resisting leaving your mark on every jacket in the quartel in the future?

"I shall try, Sir."

"Now, if you choose to remain Zorro, I would want a running account kept of all such fines and rewards accrued in your future …uh…escapades. I will assign that duty to the new Alcalde and you can keep in touch with him as to your standings. Fair?"

Zorro chuckled. "I think I can live with that."

"Then you remain Zorro? Good! You will be a protector of the people, just as you have always been. And perhaps, if you no longer have to worry about being arrested by my lancers, you might help in their training? Your skills are formidable. ou should be training others."

"I will consider this. But, Your Excellency, I should be taking my leave. Your soldiers don't know of your plans yet and you never know when one might just get a lucky shot. Adios."

Zorro leaned forward and blew out the candle. Within seconds, the Governor was alone.

Zorro rode out into the night, relishing the feel of the wind blowing across the desert land. For the first time in a very long time, he felt great hope for the future of the pueblo de Los Angeles. His own future held such promise as well. He drew his saber from his scabbard and saluted the sky. Tornado reared high, and Zorro gave him the full rein he desired.

The End

Author's note: This story was posted years ago on a friend's website. I've revised it since then, mainly correcting errors and some of the formatting that was lost when posted there. There are also stray bits here and there that are different from the original. Thank you to all who have reviewed it! And if you read it long ago and sent any emails to the email address posted there, I would love it if you would send them again, for I never got them. That email address is an old one and I never was able to retrieve any of the emails sent to it.


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